A family-owned butcher shop in Monroe County has been charged with buying and selling game.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by a state game warden from the Pennsylvania Game Commission - Northeast in the case against Haydt Enterprises Inc.:

Beginning on Nov. 23, 2019, the Pennsylvania Game Commission began a covert investigation of Haydt Enterprises Inc. known as Delbert E. Haydt’s Meat Market at 131 Beltzville Drive, Kunkletown, for the unlawful commercialization of wildlife.

Haydt’s specializes in custom butchering and in-house smoked meat products, and offers custom butchering of deer and wildlife.

An undercover agent made several purchases of meat products from the business, which tested positive for whitetail deer.

Many of these products were mixed, ground and blended with other meats and spices to form a final sale product. In total, the undercover officer went into the business on six separate occasions from November 2020 to September 2021 and purchased 34 products, with 28 testing positive for whitetail deer through DNA extraction.

Under Title 34 (Game and Wildlife), it is unlawful for any person to buy, sell, or barter, or aid, assist or conspire to buy, sell, or barter, or offer for sale or barter, or have in possession or transport for sale or barter, any game or the edible parts of game or any protected bird or animal or parts of any protected bird or animal.

The commonwealth has requested fine structures for each of the four violations be set at $800 each, and is also requested a restitution amount totaling $14,158, $13,500 in total costs of DNA Services from the ESU Wildlife Genetics Institute, and $658 for money spent in the purchasing of the products from the businesses by the undercover officer.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 3 before District Judge Colleen Mancuso of Brodheadsville.