On Thursday, a Brevard County courtroom turned into ground zero for a brewing wildlife fight when 21-year-old Jacob Latreille was sentenced to three years of probation for a string of nighttime alligator hunts on the St. Johns River. Latreille entered a nolo contendere plea to multiple felony counts tied to the covert outings, a move that lets him sidestep prison time even though investigators say the spree left more than a dozen alligators dead or dying. Conservation groups left the Titusville hearing furious.
According to Tampa Free Press, Judge Clarissa Harrell accepted Latreille’s nolo contendere plea to 14 felony counts, then handed down concurrent 36-month probation terms and suspended his hunting and fishing privileges for three years. The outlet reports that Latreille was hit with various court costs but walked out of the courthouse without a jail sentence, a result that drew sharp criticism from animal advocates.
How Investigators Say The Hunts Unfolded
Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say Latreille used his airboat to ferry three other men on repeated nighttime runs near the Hatbill Park boat ramp on the St. Johns. Cellphone video shows men pulling multiple alligators into a front hatch on the boat, then later processing the reptiles on shore. The FWC’s account states that at least 14 alligators were taken between April and May 2025 and that none of the men had the required state permits or federal CITES tags needed to legally harvest alligators, according to FWC.
Two of Latreille’s co-defendants quietly settled their cases earlier this spring with noncustodial deals. Court records show that Robert Gage Martin and Wyatt Scott Lowe each received supervised probation and fines through plea agreements. Additional filings for related defendants, including Landry, remain active on the county’s public docket, according to the Brevard County case search.
Animal-welfare advocates wasted little time responding to Latreille’s sentence. In Defense of Animals delivered a petition with about 8,904 signatures urging prosecutors to push for the maximum penalties and blasted the outcome as too light. “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,” Doll Stanley, a senior campaigner for the group, said, as reported by Tampa Free Press.
What The Law Says
Under Florida law, it is illegal to intentionally kill, injure, possess, or capture an alligator without authorization from the FWC. Such violations are charged as third-degree felonies and can bring felony penalties along with possible forfeiture of equipment used in the crime. The legal language and penalty framework are laid out in the state’s wildlife code, found in Florida statutes, Chapter 379.
The FWC says it intends to keep investigating and is urging anyone with information to submit tips through MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert or call the Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC. According to FWC, public tips are often crucial for tracking stolen wildlife and following the trail of illegal hides and meat.
Along the St. Johns, the case has quickly become a litmus test for how seriously the system treats large-scale poaching operations on Florida waterways. Prosecutors say they plan to pursue the remaining open cases and that more developments are expected as the broader investigation moves forward.
