Charges filed against hunters in Franklin Township

A Jefferson man is charged with three counts of trespassing and has been issued 19 citations by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for illegal hunting in Franklin Township Dec. 10.

Brett Daryl Cranston, 41, of Jefferson is charged in Greene County magistrate court with three charges of trespass on three separate properties. He allegedly shot at running deer on each property without the owner’s consent. He also allegedly shot three times from the road near one property, then walked onto the property, shot a fourth time, and then drove his pickup truck onto the property, loaded the deer and left.

Cranston has also been written 10 citations for shooting firearm over water, highway or railroad; five citations for prohibited hunting near building or feedlot; and four citations for restrictions on taking game- deer and turkey attempted violation.

Cranston’s attorney, Trever Hook of Kutmus, Pennington & Hook of West Des Moines, has entered a plea of not guilty on the citations and a demand for a jury trial.

Also Jeremiah John Pedersen, 41, of Grand Junction has been charged with trespass and cited for not having a hunting license in connection with hunting in Franklin Township that day. He allegedly shot at a deer and knocked it down without the property owner’s permission. He then loaded the deer into the back of his pickup truck.

Two different Franklin Township residents reported to GreeneCountyNewsOnline calling the law enforcement center and the Iowa DNR several times in the past few years about illegal or improper hunting activity in the township.

 

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