FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Reports: July 21-27, 2023

July 21 through July 27, 2023

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

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CASES

Bay County

• Officers D. Palmer and T. Basford were on patrol near the Hathaway Bridge and conducted a vessel inspection on a personal watercraft. They determined the owner of the PWC was renting the vessel to a family from out of state without any insurance. He also was not displaying the required boating safety information placard for his business. The owner of the livery was issued the appropriate citations.  
• Officer M. Gore was dispatched to St. Andrews State Park regarding a person who was injured falling into the rocks on the jetties. Upon arriving on scene, Officer Gore placed the patrol vessel as near the patient as possible while fire and emergency medical services removed her from the rocks and loaded her in the vessel. Officer Gore transported the patient to the St Andrews State Park Boat Ramp. The patient was transported to the hospital to treat a laceration on her leg. 
• Officers M. Gore and J. Coker were dispatched to multiple subjects in distress on Econfina Creek. The subjects were tubing down the creek. The complaint stated their tubes popped and they had no other means of getting down the creek. The officers launched a patrol vessel and went to retrieve the subjects. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Bay County Department of Emergency Services also launched a vessel and responded as well. The officers found four adults and five juveniles stranded on the creek. All subjects were unharmed and transported back to the boat ramp.

Gulf County

• Officer Gerber was on patrol when he observed a vessel with no navigation lights operating at night. Officer Gerber stopped the vessel to address the violation and conduct a resource inspection. During the inspection, a device capable of producing an electrical current sufficient to stun or shock freshwater fish was discovered on board the vessel. Other components were located, and the operator admitted the device was used for shocking catfish. The operator of the vessel was issued the proper citations for the violation.

CASES

Clay County

• Officers Jordan and Alvarez were on water patrol on the St. Johns River when they observed several subjects fishing from the pier at Spring Park in Green Cove Springs.  They conducted a fisheries inspection and found a subject to be in possession of an undersized red drum. He was issued the appropriate citations and warnings for the violation of red drum size limits and for fishing without a valid fishing license. 

Duval County

• Officers Alvarez and Jordan were on water patrol on the St. Johns River observing subjects shrimping at the county dock south of the Buckman Bridge. They identified the individuals throwing cast nets and conducted a fisheries inspection, which revealed two largemouth bass over 21” long in a bucket with shrimp. Officer Alvarez asked the group whose bucket it was and initially nobody claimed ownership. A subject finally admitted to catching the fish with his cast net. The subject was issued the appropriate citations and warnings for illegal methods, over the bag limit of bass 16 inches or longer, and no freshwater fishing license.  
• While on patrol, Officer Goodfellow was dispatched in reference to a person who reportedly shot and killed a Canada goose out of season. Officer Goodfellow identified and interviewed the subject. The subject, who had two active warrants, admitted to illegally taking the goose. The subject was arrested, transported, and booked into Duval County Jail.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Alachua County

• Biologist Jan Fore and Investigator Mia Ruggiero participated in the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo’s “Zookeeper for a Day” outreach event where they spoke to 600 people of all ages. They shared information about the FWC and its initiatives, volunteer and employment opportunities, the Exotic Pet Amnesty Program, responsible pet ownership, and other topics. The educational display included education handouts on Living with Wildlife, Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, IveGot1, Don’t Let It Loose; educational artifacts to touch and discuss; and promotional items about the FWC’s programs.

CASES

Brevard County

• While on patrol, Officer Hopkins observed two anglers wading through the flats throwing a cast net and putting their fish in a bucket. Officer Hopkins concealed himself and continued to watch the pair until they returned to shore where one of them hid their bucket of fish in some bushes. Officer Hopkins then contacted the subjects and disclosed he had watched them hide their bucket of fish in the bushes. The subjects provided the bucket for inspection, which revealed they were in possession of nine undersized sheepshead. Since only one of the subjects was harvesting the fish with a cast net, he was over the bag limit. Furthermore, he did not possess a valid saltwater fishing license. The subject was cited accordingly. 
• Senior Officer Platt and Officer Osborn were on land patrol in T.M. Goodwin Public Small Game Hunting Area/Broadmoor Marsh Unit when they observed a vehicle in an area closed to public vehicle access. Upon closer inspection, they found an individual cast netting from the nearby bank of a canal. They conducted a fisheries inspection, which revealed the individual was in possession of 17 game fish including crappie, bass and panfish. The violations were addressed accordingly. 

St. Johns County

• While on radar patrol at Anastasia State Park, Officer Self observed a vehicle exceeding the posted park speed limit. After initiating a vehicle stop, he observed signs of impairment from the driver. Upon conducting a driving under the influence investigation, he determined the driver was impaired and subsequently arrested the operator for DUI. 

Flagler County

• While conducting a follow-up inspection on a livery business, Officer Specialist Thomas discovered the business owner still had not corrected violations she had addressed during an inspection three months prior. As the owner was previously warned and based on the continued violations, the officer issued citations for failure to possess a livery permit and allowing employees to offer instruction without a boating safety course. 

Seminole County

• Officers Wild and White conducted patrols at a local boat ramp when they observed an individual operate a vessel without registration numbers or a registration decal. Officer Wild conducted a vessel safety inspection with the operator and observed signs of impairment. He conducted standardized field sobriety tasks and the investigation led to the operator of the vessel being arrested. He was booked into the Seminole County Jail for operating while normal faculties impaired. A refusal to submit to a lawful breath test and other various boating law regulation violations were addressed. 

Orange County

• Lieutenant Mendelson and Officers Easterbrook and White received a call through Wildlife Alert about an individual possibly possessing several gopher tortoises at their residence. The officers arrived at the residence and spoke with the homeowner, who admitted to possessing one gopher tortoise on the porch of the residence. Further investigation and questioning led to the discovery of four more gopher tortoises. During the investigation, the officers identified that all five gopher tortoises were taken from the wild within the past two years. The individual was issued a notice to appear for five counts of possession of a gopher tortoise from the wild. The gopher tortoises were turned over to a local rehabilitation facility. 

CASES

Highlands County

• Officer James Adams was patrolling the east side of Lake Apthorpe in response to information he received regarding a subject known for selling panfish. He observed the subject and a passenger as they launched their boat and headed out to fish. Officer Adams observed the subjects fishing and met them at the ramp upon their return to conduct a freshwater fisheries inspection. He checked two individual coolers and discovered one subject to be in possession of 49 panfish while the other was in possession of 60. The subject with 60 panfish was over his daily bag limit of 50 and received a citation for the violation. 

Hillsborough County 

• While on patrol, Officers White and McCormack responded to a call regarding a person in possession of a bird protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The officers contacted the person and during their interaction, the subject admitted to having the bird and proceeded to show it to the officers. The officers confirmed the bird was a Carolina Wren and protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The subject indicated they had the bird for about two months and were rehabilitating it. Officer White issued the appropriate resource citation for the violation. 

Lee County

• Investigators Mia Ruggiero, Scott Thompson, and Lieutenant Stuart Spoede were on land patrol when they responded to a report of an unrestrained monkey. Investigator Thompson and Lieutenant Spoede were first on the scene and confirmed the sighting of a marmoset monkey. Investigator Ruggiero arrived on scene and the three of them worked together to capture the animal. At this time, an owner has not been identified and the marmoset is being cared for at a licensed facility.

CASES

Broward County

• Officer Pierre was conducting resource inspections on the Deerfield Pier. He found a subject in possession of four undersized triggerfish, one undersized lane snapper and marine life not kept in a circulating live well. The subject was issued a citation for the violations.      
• Officer Bovee was on patrol in the Intracoastal Waterway near Sunrise Blvd. He witnessed a personal watercraft aggressively spraying another vessel. The PWC operator was stopped and cited for reckless operation. 
• Officer Walcott conducted a freshwater fisheries inspection at a rest area along I-75. The subject advised he had not caught any fish. When walking by the subject’s truck, Officer Walcott observed a bucket with three peacock bass in plain view. The daily bag limit on peacock bass is 2 fish, only one of which can be over 17”. The subject was issued a citation for the violation. 
• While checking subjects fishing along the beach near Commercial Pier, Officer Olivera checked a subject fishing with a yo-yo style fishing device. The subject was in possession of five barracuda and other unregulated saltwater fish. The subject was over his legal bag limit of two barracuda per person. The subject was also in violation of a local ordinance being addressed by the local city police department. 
• While on patrol, Officers Walcott and Constance observed people fishing along Alligator Alley. The subjects quickly started to pack up once they observed the officers approaching. The subjects stated they had caught fish but did not keep any. A resource inspection revealed one of the subjects was in possession of a bucket containing three peacock bass. That subject was issued a criminal citation for being over the bag limit of two peacock bass per person.

Glades County

• Officer Watson was conducting surveillance on a rural roadway known for illegal night hunting activities. Officer Watson watched a vehicle come down the roadway and park on the road for about two hours. Officer Watson then heard a gunshot come from the vehicle, and the vehicle began driving away. Officer Watson conducted a stop of the vehicle with the assistance of Officer Ciprich and found two firearms in the vehicle. The subject was arrested and booked into the Glades County Jail for discharging a firearm from a roadway and the firearms were seized. 

Hendry County

• Senior Officer Polly was conducting surveillance on a roadway known for illegal night hunting activities. At around sunset, he observed a vehicle driving slowly with the windows down and hitting the brakes multiple times. Senior Officer Polly then heard a gunshot come from the vehicle. The vehicle then turned around and sped off in the opposite direction. Senior Officer Polly and Lieutenant Kleis conducted a stop of the vehicle and located a .308 rifle behind the back seat with a barrel that was still warm. There also was a round missing from the magazine. There were two people in the vehicle and both denied firing the gun. The firearm was seized and charges are being filed with the state attorney’s office for discharging a firearm from a roadway. The officers spent several hours that night and the following day looking for deceased animals and none were found. 

Palm Beach County

• Officers Rea and Stiltner were on marked vessel patrol in Lake Wyman when they observed a vessel with many fishing rods and conducted a fisheries inspection. The captain and crew informed the officers they were returning from the Bahamas. Inside the coolers were multiple bags of fish filets containing no skin so species identification was not possible. There were also five wrung lobster tails. Lobster season in the Bahamas is closed to harvest April 1 until Aug. 1. Lobster season in Florida is closed April 1 until Aug. 6 with a two-day season occurring July 26 and 27. Notices to appear were issued accordingly. 
• The FWC Investigations and Special Operations Group served an arrest warrant for charges relating to a boating accident in Hendry County. The warrant was issued for boating under the influence with injury, reckless operation of a vessel, and possession of a vessel with the HIN removed. Once the subject was in custody, another vessel belonging to him was in plain view, where the HIN was observed to be removed. The subject was additionally charged in Palm Beach County for possession of a vessel with the HIN removed, and no driver’s license.  The subject was transported to the Palm Beach County jail without incident.

St. Lucie County

• Officer Payne received a report of a subject harvesting saw palmetto berries inside a county preserve. Contact was made with the subject and a 5-gallon bucket containing saw palmetto berries was located, which the subject admitted was his. The subject stated he knew it was a preserve and he should not be there. The subject was issued a notice to appear for not having a permit to harvest saw palmetto berries. The subject was also found to have an active warrant out of St Lucie County and was placed under arrest and transported to the St Lucie County jail. 
• Officers Bingham and Barghouty were on offshore water patrol when they stopped a vessel with people fishing. A license and resource inspection was conducted, which revealed three undersized gray triggerfish, one undersized black sea bass and one undersized vermillion snapper.  The captain of the vessel was cited for harvesting undersized triggerfish.  Warnings were issued for the other violations. 

CASES

Monroe County

• Investigator Chris Mattson was on unmarked water patrol when he responded to a call about spear fishing at Molasses Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area. Investigator Mattson observed a vessel that fit the description operating on plane with all passengers onboard and still flying a diver-down flag.  Investigator Mattson was initiating a vessel stop when he observed a subject throw lobster off the side of the boat. When the vessel stopped, Investigator Mattson observed fresh lobster blood where the man had been throwing lobsters overboard. A pole spear was also located on the boat as well as several sets of dive gear and SCUBA tanks. Officers Edge, Castle and Oravec arrived on scene to assist. The subject was arrested and taken to Plantation Key jail where he was charged with destruction of evidence.
• Investigator Chris Mattson was on unmarked federal water patrol in Conch Reef Research Only Area and observed a vessel inside the research only area and tied off to a mooring stating “ Keep Away.” The subjects on the vessel were fishing inside the no fishing area. The vessel captain was written a federal citation for fishing inside the research only area.
• Officer Garcia and Officer Piekenbrock were conducting state land patrol in a marked vehicle on Pine Channel when they observed an individual walking south along U.S. 1. The individual was observed with a snorkel and mask on his head while carrying dive fins and a lobster bag that contained what appeared to be spiny lobster. During a resource inspection, the subject stated he caught five lobsters. When the lobsters were measured, officers discovered the subject was in possession of three spiny lobster were under the legal-size limit of 3 inches along the carapace. The subject was issued a notice to appear for the violation.
• Officers Piekenbrock, Alvarez and Sturgeon were on water patrol in Pine Channel prior to the opening of the two-day spiny lobster recreational mini-season. Officer Piekenbrock observed a subject on a bully net vessel catching lobster. As the officers approached, one of the subjects on board began to throw lobster overboard.  The subject was placed under arrest for harvesting spiny lobster out of season and resisting arrest without violence.  He was transported to the Stock Island jail without incident.
• Officer Esilva conducted a resource inspection on two individuals fishing in a gated area posted as "no trespassing" near the Quay Boat Ramp in Marathon. The inspection revealed the two individuals to be in possession of 16 mangrove snapper, one schoolmaster snapper and other unregulated species. Of the 17 total snappers, 12 were found to be under the minimum size limit. Neither individual had a valid fishing license. They stated they did not to know the regulations for the fish in their possession. Both individuals were placed under arrest and brought to Stock Island jail without incident.
• On opening day of the two-day spiny lobster recreational mini-season, Lieutenant Colonel Escanio and Officer Justin Salazar were on water patrol near Key Largo when they observed a center console vessel anchored in Broad Creek and displaying a diver-down flag that was too small. Further observation revealed two people in the water with lobster snares in their hands. A vessel safety and marine fisheries inspection revealed the individuals were harvesting spiny lobster within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, which is prohibited. The two divers were also in possession of over the daily bag limit of 6 spiny lobster per person per day in Monroe County. Both divers were cited for the lobster violations and diver-down flag violation.

On opening day of the two-day spiny lobster recreational mini-season, Lieutenant Colonel Escanio and Officer Justin Salazar were in Steamboat Creek near Key Largo when they observed a diver in the water with no diver-down flag displayed. They watched the individual harvest a spiny lobster from the mangroves and noticed he had a speargun in his hand. Spearfishing is prohibited in all state waters of the upper keys (north of Long Key). Officer Salazar confirmed the spiny lobster was not harvested using the speargun. Subsequent vessel safety and marine fisheries inspections were conducted revealing the subject was in possession of one speared gray snapper. The subjects were in possession of 19 spiny lobster, 7 over their collective bag limit. Each subject was cited for the lobster violation and one was also cited for spearfishing in the upper keys and failure to display a diver-down flag.

Miami-Dade

• Officer Sayne conducted a resource inspection on three subjects fishing at the Rickenbacker Fishing Pier. The resource inspection revealed they were concealing three hoop nets tied to the fishing pier. The hoop nets contained four spiny lobsters. One of the subjects claimed ownership of the three hoop nets and was cited for possession of spiny lobster out of season.
• Officers Gutierrez and Hayden were on water patrol and conducted a boating safety inspection on a vessel and determined the operator was under the influence of alcohol. It also turned out that the operator had multiple outstanding warrants. The subject was subsequently arrested.
• Officer Presser was working the Government Cut channel and initiated a vessel stop to conduct a fisheries inspection. Officer Presser discovered a hidden compartment in the vessel with over the bag limit of mangrove snapper. The subjects on the boat were cited accordingly.
• Officer Sayne was on patrol at Crandon Park Marina Boat Ramp when he observed a white 15-foot boat approaching the ramp with lobster gear displayed on the deck. The officer conducted a resource inspection and asked the five subjects onboard if they had any spiny lobster. They replied “yes” and pulled out a medium-sized white cooler containing several plastic bags of separated/wrung spiny lobster tails. Officer Sayne informed the subjects the practice of wringing or separating the tail from the carapace and head is prohibited on state waters. Upon inspecting the cooler, the officer determined the subjects were in possession of 60 separated/wrung lobster tails. All five subjects were cited for possession of spiny lobsters not in whole condition.
• Officers Saavedra, Gutierrez, Presser, Tuckfield, and McKinley were conducting surveillance in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on multiple vessels before the opening of the two-day recreational mini season for spiny lobster. Two subjects dropped a bag of lobsters while officers approached them. Officer Saavedra recovered the bag. The subject was cited for out-of-season and undersize lobster and interference with an FWC law enforcement officer.