Suspicious deer harvest leads to felony firearm charges for Shawn Myers

What began as an investigation into a suspicious deer harvest has resulted in felony firearm charges for a local man with a prior drug conviction.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the investigation began on November 20, 2025, when Indiana Conservation Officer (ICO) Trevor Bolt noticed discrepancies in the state's online game check system. The log showed that Shawn Myers purchased an Indiana deer firearms license at 6:55 p.m. on November 17, and checked in an antlered deer the following morning.

Officer Bolt located Myers sleeping in a running pickup truck on a property in the 19000 block of 12th Road in Plymouth. During an interview, Myers allegedly admitted to shooting the deer on the morning of November 17 without a license.

According to court documents, Myers told the officer he gutted the deer and then decided to buy a license because he wanted to mount the head. He stated his brother helped him check the deer into the online system the next day to make it appear as though it was shot after the license was purchased.

Further evidence was gathered using a Flock license plate reader camera, which captured an image of Myers's truck driving in Mishawaka with the deer in the bed at 5:31 p.m. on November 17—over an hour before he actually purchased the hunting license.

During the initial interview, Myers showed Officer Bolt the camouflage-wrapped Ted Williams 12-gauge shotgun he used to kill the deer, which he retrieved from his camper. Bolt also noted a Marlin .22 caliber rifle sitting in the passenger seat of Myers's truck. Bolt initially issued citations for the deer violations and confiscated the caped-out deer head, but left the firearms with Myers.

However, the case escalated later that evening when ICO Ken Dowdle recognized Myers's name and suggested a criminal background check. The check revealed Myers had a 2017 felony conviction for dealing in methamphetamine. Under Indiana law, this classifies him as a serious violent felon, making it illegal for him to possess any firearms.

On November 23, Officers Bolt and Dowdle returned to the Plymouth property. They informed Myers of his restricted status and seized both the 12-gauge shotgun and the .22 caliber rifle as evidence.

Myers is now facing a Level 4 felony charge for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. In addition to the felony, he faces three misdemeanor charges: illegal taking of a deer, hunting deer without a license, and providing false information to a check station.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is also requesting a $500 replacement fee for the illegally taken deer.

Myers was booked into the Marshall County Jail on April 13^th and is being held on a $25,000 cash bond.