YouTubers sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to deer poaching charges in Ohio

YouTubers sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to deer poaching charges in Ohio highlights how a yearslong investigation led to criminal consequences for online hunting content. Michael Guise of CBS Pittsburgh said two men from Columbus, Ohio—William Bethel (28) and Justin Booth (23)—pleaded guilty to 40 combined poaching-related charges tied to their “Creek Kings Outdoors” YouTube channel. Prosecutors said they harvested white-tailed deer without permission in Three Creeks Metro Park and other unauthorized properties from 2019 to 2024. Authorities added that the men claimed deer were harvested in Kentucky, but evidence showed unlawful harvest in Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported the men entered guilty pleas in May and were ordered to pay nearly $30,000 combined in restitution. Their sentencing includes nine days in jail during the 2026–27 hunting season, with an additional 531 days suspended. Both received five years of probation, five-year bans from hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges, and restrictions on visiting Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks while on probation.