Alaska State Troopers cited three Southcentral residents this week for illegal possession of wolf hybrids.
The charges came before and after authorities searched a Palmer-area business for evidence the owner is illegally raising and selling wolves or hybrid, wolf-dog mixes.
Troopers cited Henry Calvin Hubbard, 57, of Anchorage on Monday for possession of a hybrid, according to trooper reports.
It is illegal in Alaska to possess a wolf without a special permit granted for research or education purposes, and illegal under all circumstances to own a wolf hybrid, a Fish and Game spokeswoman said. On Thursday, Alaska Wildlife Troopers served a search warrant on Wolf Country USA, north of Palmer, collecting DNA samples of dozens of animals.
The tests are expected to be analyzed in California for the presence of wolf DNA.
Troopers say they cited two more people the next day on misdemeanor charges of possession of a hybrid: Nicholas J. Ciccarelli, 28, and Renee M. Ciccarelli, 25, both of Wasilla.
Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters could not say Saturday whether the recent citations were directly related to the investigation of Wolf Country USA owner Werner Schuster.
Call Kyle Hopkins at 257-4334 or email khopkins@adn.com.
By KYLE HOPKINS
khopkins@adn.com