Luke David Michael Landry, 25, of Edgewater, avoided jail after pleading no contest to charges related to the deaths of eight alligators during a series of nighttime hunts on the St. Johns River in April 2025. Brevard County Judge Charles G. Crawford sentenced Landry to 36 months of probation and suspended his hunting and fishing privileges in Florida for three years. Landry must also submit a DNA sample, pay a $750 fine, and cover $553.50 in court costs.
The case began after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received a tip about Snapchat videos showing Landry with illegally killed alligators. A search of his home uncovered more evidence and led investigators to Jacob William Latreille, of Edgewater, who owned the airboat used in the hunts. Four men were charged in total, but none received jail time. Landry was the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced.
The group killed 13 alligators during their nighttime operations. Animal rights groups criticized the sentences as too lenient. In Defense of Animals collected 8,904 signatures on a petition urging maximum penalties for all four defendants. The group’s senior campaigner, Doll Stanley, said the light sentences sent a message that conservation laws can be ignored without consequences.
All four defendants received probation. The case drew national attention and sparked debate about wildlife protection laws in Florida. Landry’s sentencing closes the prosecution, but activists say the outcome highlights gaps in enforcement against poaching. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission did not comment on the case’s impact on future enforcement actions.