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Sentencing delayed for game poacher By Mark Freeman EUGENE � A renegade hunting guide from Jacksonville, who authorities painted as the state�s most notorious exploiter of big game and the legitimate hunters who stalk it, will remain a free man for at least another month. A federal judge on Thursday delayed William "Dollar Bill" Danielson�s sentencing on a felony wildlife charge for illegally selling a set of Southern Oregon blacktail deer antlers five years ago. Just before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken was to begin hearing testimony at Danielson�s sentencing hearing, she ordered the hearing delayed until March 23. "It�s a little bit of a let-down," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Kent said late Thursday. "We wanted to finish this thing." According to defense attorney Bryan Lessley, the delay was to provide federal probation officials and the court a chance to better assess the financial issues surrounding Danielson�s case. That includes time for Danielson to comply with federal probation officers� request that he fill out a financial affidavit and provide other financial documents. Lessley also filed in court a 44-page document in Danielson�s defense. Danielson, 46, was convicted in April on a single felony count of violating the Lacey Act, which bans selling, buying or transporting across state lines any fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of state law. In a sentencing memo filed by Kent, Danielson is accused by federal prosecutors of earning about $157,000 by helping people poach or by bilking hunters out of money for hunts he did not provide. He is also accused of attempting to hide his financial assets in the names of family members. Kent has asked that Danielson receive the 5-year maximum sentence. Kent also has asked Aiken to freeze the assets of some Danielson family members while authorities look further into allegations that Danielson has hidden some of his assets to sidestep paying for his defense, fines or any potential civil suits, court papers state. Danielson also faces a new misdemeanor charge of illegal guiding without a state license for allegedly getting paid last year in Josephine County to take two men to hunt elk in Eastern Oregon, according to the Oregon State Police. Danielson, along with James C. Black, 46, of Grants Pass, were cited on the misdemeanor charge, police said. The case was forwarded to the Josephine County District Attorney�s Office for prosecution. Danielson also faces felony theft charges in Nevada for allegedly stealing $2,000 worth of ticket packages from a table at the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep convention in Reno. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.