A Mecosta man has been sentenced to 120 days in jail and 775 dollars in fines after the DNR discovered he provided false information about two deer heads infected with chronic wasting disease.
When Lester Gemmen first submitted six deer heads for routine testing Gemmen told authorities they were from his ranch. After two heads tested positive for CWD Gemmen denied they came from his ranch.
Lieutenant David Shaw is with the DNR.
“Originally he claimed they came from his facility and that’s the proper way to submit from his facility and then he changed his version and said they came from the deer processor. That was the violation.”
Shaw said the DNR conducted tests of both Gemmen’s ranch and the processing facility he claimed the heads came from.
“It didn’t ever match up to his farm, the DNA was inconclusive, we still don’t know the source of those heads.”
Shaw said Gemmen was charged with falsifying information because he changed his story after the heads tested positive.
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal nervous system disease that attacks the brain of infected animals.
Shaw said the ranch remains under quarantine.