FWC-Law Enforecement Weekly Report-January 29-February 4

[Florida]

FWC DIVISION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
FIELD OPERATIONS
WEEKLY REPORT
January 29 – February 4, 2010

This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.


NORTHWEST REGION

ESCAMBIA COUNTY COPS

Captain Mary Sumner attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the new Pensacola Bay fishing pier adjacent to the Pensacola to Gulf Breeze Three Mile Bridge and near the FWC Pensacola Field Office. The original fishing pier was destroyed during Hurricane Ivan. Escambia County in conjunction with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worked to rebuild the 2,578 foot pier adding an additional fishing spot open 24 hours a day for residents to enjoy. Escambia County officials announced that no entry fee will be charged for the pier until March 1.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Steve Hoomes completed an investigation involving a night hunting incident that occurred earlier in the month. Officer Hoomes and Lieutenant Doug Berryman responded to a complaint of night hunting and located a vehicle leaving the area. The subjects admitted to shooting a handgun, but denied trying to kill a deer. After successfully interviewing the suspect and witness, the officers received a confession. The suspect saw a deer on the shoulder of the highway and pulled over to shoot it with his .45 caliber pistol. The round apparently missed the deer. Officer Hoomes filed charges of attempting to take deer after legal shooting hours and discharging a firearm from a paved pubic right of way. The suspect turned himself in and Officer Hoomes booked him on the charges.

Officer Joe Murphy was working night hunting in north Santa Rosa County when he observed a truck approach. The occupants of the truck used a light to shine the field in a manner capable of disclosing the presence of deer. As the vehicle left the field Officer Murphy stopped the vehicle and discovered the occupant was in possession of a rifle. Officer Murphy seized the gun and light and issued the subject a notice to appear for attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light.

Officer Joe Murphy was working in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area when he observed a truck without a tag displayed. He stopped the truck and asked the driver for the registration, insurance information and driver license. The subject admitted that he did not have any of that. Officer Murphy issued the driver citations for the violations.

Officer Royce Johnson was on patrol in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area when he observed a hunter standing in the roadway of a paved public road with a firearm. There were dogs pursuing deer in the area and the hunter was hunting on the right of way. Officer Johnson issued a notice to appear for road hunting.

Later, Officer Johnson located another subject hunting from his vehicle on the right of way. This hunter had a loaded rifle in the vehicle and was parked next to the pavement. Officer Johnson issued a notice to appear for road hunting.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY COPS

On January 29 – 31, FWC officers assigned to Santa Rosa County together with FWC Wildlife and Fisheries staff worked the first weekend of the annual Mobility Impaired Hunt at the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area Hutton Unit. Twenty-four mobility impaired hunters and their hunt assistants arrived to participate in the annual event harvesting 19 deer.

WALTON COUNTY

Officer Cromwell Letcher responded to a complaint of someone shooting from the right of way on Bay Loop Road in Freeport. Through his investigation, Officer Letcher located the subject that had been shooting and another man that helped retrieve a harvested deer. Officer Letcher obtained written statements from both men and issued the shooter a citation for taking wildlife from a public road or right of way.

Officers Van Barrow and Danny Arnette made contact with a subject in the Paxton area who was sitting after hours in his tree stand with his bow and rifle. He claimed to be exercising a deer depredation permit issued for a field of peanuts. The 25 acre field did not contain any planted peanuts. An inspection of the property failed to produce signs of active depredating. However, the inspection did reveal a pile of corn approximately 25 yards from the subject’s tree stand. The subject was issued a citation for violation of the permit and hunting after hours.

LEON COUNTY

K-9 Officer Jeff Babauta and Officer Charlie Mallow set up a replica deer on the southwest side of Leon County. This was in conjunction with a detail targeting illegal road hunting in the Apalachicola National Forest. The two officers were there just minutes when a subject traveling through the area spotted the replica and shot at it. The subject was charged for taking deer from right-of-way and discharging a firearm from a public roadway. The subject’s Winchester .308 rifle was seized as evidence.

RESOURCE PROTECTION UNIT (RPU) WEEKLY ACTIVITIES

FRANKLIN COUNTY

RPU Officer Travis Huckeba was working information of an illegal bait site given to him by uniform patrol. Officer Huckeba and Captain Craig Duval located the suspect’s truck in Tate's Hell Wildlife Management Area. Once there, Officer Huckeba posed as another hunter and closed the distance on the suspect who was in a tree stand. While approaching the bait site, the hunter yelled to him, "Hey man, you didn't see my truck parked in the road!" thinking he was another hunter. At this point, Officer Huckeba identified himself and ordered the suspect to unbolt his gun and come down from the tree stand. The hunter complied and was charged with hunting over bait in a management area.

LIBERTY COUNTY

RPU Lieutenant Kent Harvey and RPU Officer Ben Johnson were working the Apalachicola National Forest assisting uniform patrol with a detail. The officers worked to blend in with hunters actively pursuing deer with dogs along Forest Highway 13. During the hunt, the officers observed a hunter pulled into a closed area waiting for the dogs to push the deer his way. After observing for several minutes, the officers approached the subject and identified themselves. Subsequent investigation revealed the hunter was on a road closed to vehicle traffic. Officer Johnson issued the hunter a citation for operating a motor vehicle on a closed road in the Apalachicola Wildlife Management Area.

LEON COUNTY

RPU Lieutenant Kent Harvey and RPU Officer Ben Johnson assisted uniform patrol with campsite checks in the Apalachicola National Forest and entered several campsites at the Otter Creek Camp. Lieutenant Harvey and Officer Johnson approached a campfire at one camp with several subjects around it. Once in, officers identified themselves and the purpose for the visit. Lieutenant Harvey asked all hunters in the party if there were any deer in camp or in any ice chests in camp. The party members replied no and a subsequent search revealed untagged deer meat in one ice chest in a truck parked in the corner of the camp. Once bringing this to the hunter’s attention, he stated the deer had been killed a week ago. Subsequent investigation revealed further mitigating factors and Officer Johnson issued the hunter a citation for possession of deer meet with no sex evidence.

WAKULLA COUNTY

RPU Lieutenant Kent Harvey was contacted by Investigations to assist in a commercial dumping case they had been working in the Apalachicola National Forest. Lieutenant Scott Runkle met Lieutenant Harvey and showed him three different dumpsites where deer and hog carcasses had been dumped. Some sites contained as many as 15 to 20 carcasses. Investigations had been actively working surveillance on the locations but had not come up with any contacts. Lieutenant Runkle asked Lieutenant Harvey and Investigator Eric Johnston to go to a commercial deer processing business located 1/2 mile from the three dumpsites and conduct an inspection. Upon arrival, both officers identified themselves and conducted an inspection on the cooler and found some violations. Subsequent investigation and interview with the owner revealed evidence connecting the processor with the dumpsites. During the interview, the owner admitted to dumping deer and hog carcasses at the three sites since bow season. After giving a written statement, the owner of the deer processing business was charged with littering and given a court date.

During the inspection of this commercial deer processing business, Lieutenant Harvey located two doe deer not properly tagged in the cooler. Inspection of the deer processor's records revealed that the two doe deer had been taken out of season. The processor could not provide a location of where the deer had been taken or any antlerless deer permits for the doe deer. The deer were seized along with information on the subject who brought the two doe deer to the processor. Lieutenant Harvey located the hunter who killed the two doe deer and conducted an interview with him at the hunter’s residence. During the interview, the suspect confessed to killing the two doe deer on January 24 and 25. Subsequently, the hunter gave a written statement stating his intent and confessing to the crime. The suspect was also issued a warning for hunting without a license.


NORTH CENTRAL REGION

BRADFORD COUNTY

Officer Ricky Justus, assisted by Lieutenant David Lee, Investigator Kenneth Holmes, and Officer Dustin Bonds, responded to a local hunt club in reference to a dog complaint. Club members found three untagged hunting dogs trailing wildlife on club property. The owner claimed the dogs accidently escaped from a dog box on adjoining property. Officer’s examination of the dog box dismissed the owner’s allegation. Officer Justus conducted a lengthy investigation that included obtaining witness statements from club members. Charges were filed with the Bradford County State’s Attorney Office for failure to properly tag dogs and allowing dogs to trail game on property without written permission.

CLAY COUNTY

Lieutenant Gary Knowles found two subjects standing next to a parked vehicle in the archery portion of Camp Blanding Wildlife Management Area. The subjects had illegally entered the closed area by way of a road closed to vehicular traffic. During questioning, Lieutenant Knowles noticed a large amount of alcoholic beverages inside the vehicle. Both subjects appeared nervous and provided a questionable explanation for being on the area. Camp Blanding Military Police responded and conducted a search of the vehicle. A records check showed no active warrants however, the alleged driver of the vehicle possessed a suspended driver’s license. The driver was charged with illegal entry on a closed area, operating a vehicle on a closed area, and possession of alcoholic beverages on a closed area. The passenger was cited for illegal entry on a closed area and possession of alcoholic beverages on a closed area. The suspended driver’s license was seized.

CITRUS COUNTY

Over the weekend the crew of the vessel Guardian participated in a Joint Enforcement Agreement (JEA) detail and the annual Gasparilla detail in the Southwest Region. They accompanied the Northwest Region vessel Orion and crew to the Gasparilla event. Both vessels provided patrols in the middle grounds and federal waters while going to and from the annual event. Weather and rough sea kept the offshore activity to a minimum.

COLUMBIA COUNTY

Several members from the FWC North Central Region attended the “Customer Appreciation Day” annual event sponsored by Milton’s County Store in northern Columbia County. Hundreds of local residents enjoyed the festivities, blue grass band, food, and have their bucks scored in an attempt to make the Florida Buck Registry. Major Lee Beach, Captain Roy Brown, Reserve Captain Bill Sargent, Lieutenant Scott Kihei, Public Information Officer Karen Parker, Officers Jeff Summers, Billy Giles, Harold Barry, Leslie Sharp, Wildlife Biologist Alan Hallman, and Hunter Education Coordinator Steve Robbins attended. Steve Robbins made several contacts and registered people that will be attending our Hunter Education classes in the future. Approximately thirty antlers were scored and all had a great time despite the weather. This was another community service opportunity that was worthwhile and much appreciated by the attendees.

DIXIE COUNTY

Investigator Larry Ayers, Officer Todd Nichols and Officer Brent Bowlin responded to information regarding a deer killed illegally behind a residence. The officers arrived to discover a man processing deer meat. The officers discovered the man had feeders set up under a yard light in his back yard along with a insulated shooting house where he would sit and shoot the deer at night. The suspect was charged with taking deer at night with a gun and light. Forty-five packs of processed deer meat, a doe deer carcass and a Browning 12 gauge shotgun were seized as evidence.

DUVAL COUNTY

Officer Kevin Balfour and Chris Holleman conducted a quality control inspection on a seafood booth at a local flea market. A red drum was located in the seafood delivery truck and the owner was cited for the sale of native red drum.

GILCHRIST COUNTY

Officer Todd Nichols and Officer Brent Bowlin responded to a complaint of a suspect in possession of two alligators. Upon contacting the suspect he consented to a search of the back yard where the officers located two alligators in a small pool. The suspect was cited for unlawful possession of alligator. The alligators were released back into the wild.

LEVY COUNTY

Officer James Umhoefer received a favorable court disposition on a doe deer case that he filed this past fall. Last January, Officer Umhoefer assisted the Levy County Sheriff's Office with a traffic stop on a repeat wildlife offender. During the stop Officer Umhoefer discovered fresh blood, deer hair and a cooler containing fresh deer meat. DNA testing of the meat later determined the meat to be from a doe deer. Officer Umhoefer worked with the State Attorney's Office to file charges for possession of doe deer during the closed season, possession of untagged deer meat and possessing deer while hunting license suspended. The outcome was approximately $3389 in fines, lifetime hunting suspension and three year driver’s license suspension.

UNION COUNTY

Officer Leslie Sharp took up a position of concealment along State Road 100 and watched deer feeding in a field at night. He watched a vehicle make several slow passes and finally come to a stop adjacent to the feeding deer. The driver illuminated the deer with a handheld flashlight. The deer began to run, so Officer Sharp made contact with the driver and discovered a loaded .22 caliber rifle on the front seat. The suspect was cited for display of a gun and light at night and attempting to take wildlife from a county road. The rifle and light were seized.


NORTHEAST REGION

LAKE COUNTY

Officer Jared Beard conducted a resource inspection on a fisherman on Lake Dora. The subject was in possession of 35 black crappie and received a citation for the violation.

PUTNAM COUNTY

Officer Troy Starling received information on the taking of a button buck during small game season on Caravelle Wildlife Management Area. Officers Starling and Dana Klein interviewed the suspects and this week charged them with possession of antlerless deer and taking an alligator.

Since April 2009, Officer Starling has been developing information on a suspect killing a black bear. Last week he and Officer Klein interviewed the suspect, obtained a confession and recovered evidence. Arrest warrants were issued on the suspect and his father. Both of them were booked into jail.

SUMTER COUNTY

Officers Tom Kist and Ian Sweet were on patrol in the Richloam Wildlife Management Area. Officer Sweet observed a subject digging beside the Little Withlacoochee River and made contact with him. The subject informed Officer Sweet there were two other subjects digging in close proximity to their location. Officer Sweet located the other two subjects who were holding shovels and using wire sifters to excavate the area. Officer Kist arrived and assisted Officer Sweet with the three subjects. The subjects were in possession of numerous flint chips and shavings as well as several excavation tools. The three subjects said they were looking for arrowheads. The officers issued the three subjects citations for taking Native American artifacts on state lands.


SOUTHWEST REGION

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

Officer Adam Resnick was conducting fisheries inspections near Melbourne Street fishing pier when he smelled what he recognized as burning marijuana and observed two individuals smoking a marijuana cigarette. Officer Resnick approached the individuals and informed them that he detected the smell of burning marijuana. The individuals were found to be in possession of marijuana. Officer Resnick cited the two individuals for possession of cannabis under 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia. One of the subjects made the statement “It’s only a civil penalty since that’s what the law is in Maine.”

Officer Barry Shaw was conducting off road patrol on the Yucca Pen Wildlife Management Area (WMA) at night when he heard a gunshot. Officer Shaw responded to the area and located a parked vehicle. Officer Shaw heard another gunshot and after a short pause, he heard four more. Officer Shaw located an individual with a shotgun and subsequently issued citations for the possession of a firearm during the closed season and a warning for being on the WMA after hours and operating a vehicle on a closed road.

Officer Sam Cohl was in a remote area on foot patrol when he located a vehicle concealed in a thicket of palmettos and scrub oaks. The vehicle had a rigged pipe from the exhaust to the vehicle interior. Further inspection of the vehicle revealed a deceased adult male. This incident was turned over to the Charlotte Sheriff’s Office.

LEE COUNTY

Lieutenant Darrin Riley conducted off-road patrol on Zemel’s property in Cape Coral and located two stolen vehicles, one of which had been burned to the frame. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.

PINELLAS COUNTY

Lieutenant Grant Burton responded to a complaint regarding two subjects who were fishing from the Pinellas Bayway Bridge and keeping gag grouper. A fisheries inspection revealed that the individuals were in possession of eight gag grouper. One subject claimed to have caught all eight and was cited for possession of gag grouper during closed season. The fish were returned alive to the water.

Officers Louis Hinds and Dieter Iten and Lieutenant Grant Burton were working a net limitation detail in the vicinity of Riviera Bay. After Officer Hinds observed a vessel deploy a large net, he notified Officer Iten and Lieutenant Burton, who were on personal watercrafts. The officers conducted a vessel stop, while the subjects onboard were retrieving the net. Inspection of the net revealed that there were three nets, two of which were connected, totaling 776 square feet. The nets were seized as evidence and the two subjects were charged with fishing with nets connected, fishing with a net greater than 500 square feet and failure to transit.

COPS

Officers JoAnne Adams and Greg Bryson represented the agency at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus for the annual career fair.


SOUTH REGION A

BROWARD COUNTY

Officer Darral Thomason organized an enforcement detail with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents in Stormwater Treatment Areas 3 and 4. Its purpose was to check duck hunters for compliance with applicable laws. Several license and stamp violations were documented as well as a case for possessing lead shot.

Lieutenant Dave Bingham and National Marine Fisheries Service Agent James Rodriguez received a federal award for Officer of the Year for a case they made against an organized effort by charter boat fishermen to sell/trade undersize sailfish to taxidermists. All of the defendants in the case had pled guilty to the charges.

Officer Brock was on patrol in the Everglades and Holeyland Wildlife Management Areas when he encountered approximately nine underage subjects gathered around a campfire. Two of them were issued citations for possessing alcohol and a third was cited for possessing a firearm while in the management area.

Officers Corteguera and Brock responded to a call for assistance at the Hillsboro Inlet where a fifty-four foot sport fishing boat had run aground on some rocks. A commercial towboat successfully refloated the vessel and towed it to a marina. The officers remained on scene to help escort the towboat and the stricken vessel to safety. Officer Corteguera then conducted a boating accident investigation.

Sunday night, Officers Brock and Corteguera observed a vehicle parked on the side of U.S. Highway 27 with its lights off and stopped to see if anyone needed assistance. Two adults and two children were inside the vehicle. The adult driver was exhibiting strange medical behaviors so the officers called to have fire-rescue personnel respond. Paramedics determined that the subject was hypoglycemic and needed treatment at a local hospital. Due to the subject’s behaviors, Officer Brock rode in the ambulance to the hospital to assist the paramedics.

Officers Corteguera, Baker, and Brock observed subjects fishing near the Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge. One subject was cited possession of eight undersize mangrove snapper.

COPS

Officer Baker participated in a public outreach event, “Race for the Cure” at Topeekeegee Yugnee Park in which approximately fifty children and twenty-five adults attended. Officer Baker displayed an agency patrol boat, distributed agency literature, and answered questions about FWC’s role in the protection of Florida’s residents and natural resources.

MARTIN COUNTY

Officers responded to a fatal boating accident that occurred in St. Lucie Inlet. A twenty foot vessel had capsized, ejecting both occupants. One subject was rescued but the other perished. An investigation is ongoing..


SOUTH REGION B

COLLIER COUNTY

Officers Thomas Van Trees and a sheriff’s office investigator conducted a panther zone, speed enforcement detail that resulted in the issuance of eight citations for speeds in excess of 20 mph over the posted nighttime speed limit of 45 mph. Additionally, one warning was issued for expired vehicle registration.

COPS

As a result of nuisance bear complaints in Copeland, officers, biologists, and county waste management personnel discussed strategies to keep bears away from garbage sites. Recommendations included retrofitting garbage containers with special hardware and educating residents on better methods of securing refuse. Several suspicious bear deaths in Copeland during the past year are also under investigation.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

Officers Albert and Almagro and Lieutenant Marvin responded to a request for assistance by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who encountered a suspicious vessel at Miami’s 79th Street boat ramp. Twenty-two fifteen gallon drums of gasoline and a fuel transfer pump were discovered on board. Officer Almagro cited the operator for improper carriage of fuel. The vehicle, trailer, and vessel were seized by federal agents for further investigation. Two of the subjects were arrested for parole violations while the third subject was released.

MONROE COUNTY

Lieutenant Colonel Calvin Adams was on water patrol with Officers Brian Fugate and James Johnson when they responded to a fisheries complaint. A fisheries inspection on the suspect vessel revealed 460 pounds of kingfish over the 1,250 pound limit allowed. The fishermen were cited for the violation and the fish were seized and sold. The monies from the sale will be held in escrow pending the disposition of the criminal proceeding. Officer Johnson organized the enforcement detail that targeted commercial king mackerel fisheries. Officer Seth Wingard and Lieutenant Elizabeth Riesz also participated.

Officers Aaron Smith and Jason Rafter investigated an incident last November when a charter boat captain witnessed a subject pulling crawfish traps belonging to someone else. The officers issued several citations to the subject for possession of two undersize crawfish and failure to exhibit a saltwater products license. The subject was recently convicted and sentenced to 120 days in jail. At the time of the incident, the subject possessed only 33 valid trap tag certificates. The defendant told the judge during trial that he had been fishing his traps, yet the officers noted that only one trap was in the area, surrounded by numerous traps belonging to other fishermen. The subject also had prior convictions for saltwater fisheries, discharging waste, and boating safety violations.

Officers Bret Swenson and Janette Fernandez issued a citation to a subject at the Tavernier Creek Bridge for possession of fifteen undersize gray snapper. The subject was one of a group of three friends who had denied ownership of a nearby set of fishing rods and bucket filled with ten more undersize gray snapper. No other persons were in the area so the rods were seized as abandoned property.

A boating accident involving a personal watercraft with two occupants striking the Bow Channel Bridge resulted in severe injuries to one subject. The victim was airlifted to Miami for medical treatment. The investigation continues.

COPS

Officer Robert Dube and Mike Milillo participated in the first annual Stone Crab Festival at Founders Park. Over 10,000 visitors attended the event and the officers made over 900 contacts with the public, discussing FWC issues. Officer Dube met numerous individuals interested in careers with FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement.

Later in the week, Officer Dube spoke at a local event with over thirty members of Girls Gone Wild, an organization that promotes women’s interests in sport fishing careers and activities. He spoke about the recent cold weather fish kill, manatees, sea turtles, boating safety, and new fisheries rules.