A Beaver County farm and an employee have been charged after using toxic pesticide to kill migratory birds.
The Department of Justice announced Monday that 50-year-old Robert Yost and 25-year-old Jacob Reese face multiple charges after they allegedly conspired to kill birds that were on leased farmland that was owned by Yost Farms.
According to a release, Yost told Reese to spread whole kernel corn coated in carbofuran (a registered restricted-use pesticide that was deemed by the FDA to cause adverse effects in humans and the environment) "in and around a leased field used for soybean cultivation where children were regularly present."
The birds died close to where the corn was spread and Yost and Reese tried to cover up their act by destroying the feed bag that had the tainted corn in it.
About 17 Canada geese, 10 red-winged blackbirds and one mallard duck died as a result of eating the corn.
Yost and Reese face one count of conspiracy, one count of violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodentcide Act and another of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
They face up to 13 months in prison and a fine of $31,000.
