Lufkin man pleads guilty to killing 13-foot, 800 pound alligator

American alligators frequent the shallow lakes throughout the Brazos Bend State Park near Needville. American alligators frequent the shallow lakes throughout the Brazos Bend State Park near Needville. Photo: Kathy Adams Clark Photo: Kathy Adams Clark Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Lufkin man pleads guilty to killing 13-foot, 800 pound alligator 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

A Lufkin man has pleaded guilty to killing an alligator out of season by shooting it from a boat, U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced Wednesday in Beaumont.

According to information presented in court, Michael Wayne Scoggin, 38, shot and killed a 13-foot American alligator on April 8, 2011.

Using a .22-caliber rifle, Scoggin shot the approximately 800-pound creature from a canoe on the Neches River in Trinity County, Bales' office stated in a news release.

It is a violation of Texas law to kill an alligator in Trinity County any time except Sept. 10 to Sept. 30, the release stated. It's also illegal in Texas to shoot an alligator from a boat in public water.

The federal Endangered Species Act lists alligators as threatened and prohibits the taking of any threatened species of fish or wildlife in violation of any federal or state regulation.

After killing the alligator, Scoggin tied it to the outside of the canoe and towed it to his truck for transport to a Grapeland taxidermy shop, where he paid about $1,500 to have the skull and hide tanned and preserved, the release said.

The skull, hide and rifle were recovered by federal and state law enforcement officers in March 2012, the release said.

Photos of Scoggin and others with the dead alligator were posted at a local sporting goods store and online.

A sentencing date hasn't been set for Scoggin, who faces up to one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement in Houston and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Criminal Investigations Division.

It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte.