MONROE DUCK HUNTER CONVICTED AFTER FIRING TOWARD FEDERAL WILDLIFE AGENTS IN LOUISIANA

MONROE, La. — A federal jury has convicted a 23-year-old Monroe man of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal wildlife agents after prosecutors said he fired a shot toward a boat carrying officers while duck hunting in northern Louisiana.

Carson McKoin, 23, of Monroe, was found guilty on August 26, 2026, following a three-day federal trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty in the Western District of Louisiana. His sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2026.

According to evidence presented during the trial, McKoin was hunting with a group of young men on January 19, 2024, when he became concerned that another group of hunters was approaching a duck hole claimed by his hunting party.

Federal prosecutors said McKoin heard a boat approaching and fired a shot in the direction of the people he believed were other hunters entering the area.

The approaching boat was actually occupied by federal fish and wildlife agents performing their official duties.

When confronted by the agents, McKoin acknowledged that he had fired the shot but maintained that it was intended as a “signal shot.” The federal agents believed he had intentionally fired toward them, and the dispute over his actions ultimately became part of the evidence presented to the jury.

After hearing the evidence over three days, the jury found McKoin guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers.

Because the case has now resulted in a jury conviction, McKoin is no longer facing an allegation that must be proven at trial. The case has moved into the sentencing phase.

McKoin faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and as much as three years of supervised release following imprisonment. The ultimate sentence will be determined by the federal court after considering the applicable statutes and sentencing factors.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller emphasized that Louisiana’s long hunting tradition carries responsibilities when firearms are involved.

Louisiana is widely known as the “Sportsman’s Paradise,” reflecting the state’s extensive hunting, fishing, and outdoor culture. Keller said that tradition depends on hunters exercising appropriate care and responsibility with firearms and stressed that reckless firearm use capable of endangering others is treated seriously under federal law.

The investigation involved three federal law-enforcement agencies: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ATF and the FBI also participated in the federal investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Vermaelen, William Gaskins, and Robert Moody prosecuted the case, with assistance from Legal Assistant Stephanie Stewart.

The prosecution was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana under Case No. 25-cr-00025.

McKoin will return to federal court in December for sentencing, where Chief Judge Doughty will determine the punishment resulting from the jury’s verdict.

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