Colorado Springs man banned from hunting after pleading guilty to poaching charges

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A Colorado Springs man is banned from hunting in Colorado and 47 other states after pleading guilty to poaching charges.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife publicly announced the punishment for 28-year-old Iniki Vike Kapu on Monday. He was suspected of illegally killing 12 deer, two turkeys and a bighorn ram. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor poaching charges in three counties.

As part of the plea agreement, Kapu was fined $4,600 and sentenced to six months in jail. Last week, CPW hearing examiner Steven Cooley issued his decision permanently suspending Kapu’s hunting privileges.

“Mr. Kapu’s crimes against wildlife are the essence of what defines a poacher by taking wildlife without regard for the laws protecting them,” Cooley wrote in his decision. “Iniki Kapu is viewed as a serious threat to Colorado’s wildlife and his violations are among the worst. The severity and level of indifference for wildlife in this case are rarely seen and cannot be tolerated.”

Colorado is part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which extends the hunting ban to nearly all of the United States.

Anyone with information of a possible crime against wildlife is asked to call CPW, or report it anonymously to Operation Game Thief, or OGT. Reach OGT by calling, toll-free, 1-877-COLO-OGT (or 877-265-6648). Verizon users can dial #OGT. Or email CPW at g ame.thief@state.co.us.

A $500 reward is offered for information on cases involving big game or endangered species, while $250 is offered for information on turkey and $100 for fishing and small game cases.

Click here to read more on the cases against Kapu from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.