Columbus YouTubers Sentenced in Deer Poaching Case

Two Columbus men known as Creek Kings Outdoors pleaded guilty to a combined 40 counts related to illegal deer poaching, after investigators found they hunted in Three Creeks Metro Park and other properties without permission over a five-year period. William Bethel, 28, and Justin Booth, 23, claimed deer were harvested in Kentucky, but the investigation showed the animals were illegally taken in Ohio. They were sentenced to nine days in jail, faced roughly $29,000 in restitution and about $7,800 in fines, and were placed on five years of probation with hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges revoked for five years. Both men are temporarily barred from Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks properties during probation. The case relied on reviewing social-media content and park surveillance as part of a broader crackdown by Metro Parks and the Ohio Division of Wildlife to protect deer populations and public safety. Officials say the penalties aim to deter similar violations and protect park-goers from unsafe hunting practices.