Wildlife Violation Results In Florida Felony Extradition

A Warren County man has been extradited to Florida after it was discovered he was in violation of his parole on four burglaries and two forgeries, as a result of a wildlife violation investigation by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Christopher Ulmer, 26, of McMinnville, was deer hunting at the TWRA Catoosa Wildlife Management Area near Crossville when a witness stated Ulmer shot a doe during a buck only hunt there.

Catoosa Manager, Jim Lane and Habitat Biologist, Mark Lipner, former Catoosa officer, discovered Ulmer was wanted in Florida after a hunter witnessed him shoot a deer during a closed season. TWRA dispatchers, Norman Beaty and Paula Brown, worked with field officers to gain a positive identification and the wanted verification through the National Criminal Information Center, (NCIC) of Ulmer.

“The witness took us to the spot where the doe was poached and explained he had met Ulmer at his camp at the wildlife management area where he had bragged about being wanted and hiding from the police for more than three years,” Lipner said.

Officers identified Ulmer after gathering information from other hunters in the camping area and learned he had returned to McMinnville. On December 15, Catoosa officers contacted TWRA wildlife law enforcement supervisors Joey Wray and Tom Wood working in Warren County to see if they could locate Ulmer in McMinnville where other hunters had stated he was living. Wray and Woods met with the McMinnville Police Department with the information involving Ulmer’s outstanding warrant as a fugitive from justice. One of the McMinnville police officers knew Ulmer, and he and several other city officers, including S.W.A.T. team members converged on his last known place of residence with Wray and Woods when they saw Ulmer outside working on a vehicle in the driveway. Ulmer fled on foot and ran around several yards in the neighborhood before he returned to his house and barricaded himself, along with his juvenile daughter and girlfriend. Police were able to get Ulmer’s girlfriend outside and later arranged for Ulmer to come to the door to talk with his girlfriend, where officers grabbed Ulmer and placed him into custody.

Ulmer was transported to the Cumberland County Justice Center by Wray and Woods because the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department had verified he was wanted by Florida authorities and that the state of Florida would extradite for the parole violation.

Wildlife officials charged Ulmer with killing a deer during a closed season in Cumberland County and Ulmer confessed to the charge and agreed to the extradition.