Monroe Duck Hunter Convicted by Federal Jury of Assaulting Federal Fish and Wildlife Agents
A federal jury found Carson McKoin, 23, of Monroe, guilty of assaulting federal wildlife agents during a January 2024 hunting incident.
This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.
We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 28, 2026, 11:39 a.m. ET — checked 1h ago.
On August 28, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced that a federal jury had found Carson McKoin, 23, of Monroe, guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal wildlife agents. The verdict, returned on August 26, 2026, followed a three-day trial before Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty. McKoin faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2026.
According to evidence presented at trial, McKoin was hunting with a group of young men on January 19, 2024, when he believed other hunters were encroaching on the duck hole his group claimed. Hearing a boat approaching, McKoin fired a shot toward what he thought were incoming hunters. The individuals approaching were actually federal fish and wildlife agents performing their official duties. When confronted, McKoin admitted firing the shot but claimed it was simply a “signal shot,” a statement at odds with the agents’ belief that he had intentionally fired at them.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller said, “Louisiana, long known as ‘Sportsman’s Paradise,’ is blessed with one of the richest outdoor traditions in the country. But that tradition only succeeds when hunters exercise due care and responsibility with firearms. Reckless actions put lives at risk and are taken very seriously.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Office of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Vermaelen, William Gaskins, and Robert Moody.
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- Version 128 Aug 2026, 14:52current
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