Bat-killers sentenced in federal court

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March 18, 2010

By KENNETH HART / The Independent The Daily Independent Thu Mar 18, 2010, 12:15 PM EDT

Ashland — Two men who pleaded guilty to killing 105 endangered Indiana bats at Carter Caves State Resort Park in 2007 were sentenced this morning in federal court.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward B. Atkins sentenced Lonnie W. Skaggs, 31, of Olive Hill, to eight months in prison, to be followed by a year of supervised release, on two counts of violating the federal Endangered Species Act.

Skaggs’ co-defendant, Kaleb Carpenter, 20, of Olive Hill, was sentenced to three years’ probation.

Atkins noted that Carpenter did not have nearly as extensive a criminal history as Skaggs and that he did not participate in the second round of bat-killings, in which 82 of the animals perished. Both of the those factors weighed “heavily” in his favor, the judge said.

Carpenter apologized for his actions, calling them “idiotic.” Skaggs passed on an opportunity to speak on his own behalf.

Atkins allowed Skaggs to remain free until the federal Bureau of Prisons determines where he will serve his time. He said he would recommend that Skaggs be assigned to the Federal Prison Camp at Summit, although he noted that the BOP would not be bound by his recommendation.

The killings occurred Oct. 26 and 27, 2007, and drew horror and outrage from wildlife-protection advocates.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.

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