A Florida man is in the spotlight after being arrested in connection with the hunting and killing of 13 alligators during nighttime trips on the St. Johns River. He was sentenced to probation, a punishment that has drawn criticism from animal advocates who say it falls short.
Florida Today, citing court records, reported that Jacob William Latreille, 21, of Volusia County, was sentenced on May 14 to 36 months of probation after pleading no contest to 13 charges tied to the April 2025 killing of alligators. According to Florida Today, the court also suspended his Florida hunting and fishing privileges for three years.
Latreille was among four suspects who were arrested in September 2025 in connection with the case. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the group rode an airboat and used flashlights during nighttime alligator hunts on the St. Johns River.
Investigators later said videos and photos were taken on Latreille's phone and posted to Snapchat, showing alligators being taken and put into the boat.
Hunting alligators in Florida in itself is not illegal, but state-given permits are required. If granted a permit, hunters are allowed to kill, at most, two alligators between Aug. 15 and Nov. 1 annually.
Not only did Latreille not have a permit, but the 13 alligators he killed also far exceeded the two-gator limit and occurred outside of the normal hunting period, according to People.
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Florida Today reported that two of the co-defendants, Wyatt Lowe and Robert Martin, also pleaded no contest and each received 18 months of probation, along with three-year suspensions of their hunting and fishing privileges. The latest report said the case against a fourth defendant was still unresolved.
Doll Stanley, a wildlife advocate with In Defense of Animals, wrote in a statement in response to the sentencing that "wildlife advocates and enforcement officials recognize that light sentencing when individuals intentionally disregard conservation laws and engage in large-scale poaching is not a deterrent."
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