FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Reports: March 8-14

March 8, 2024 through March 14, 2024

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

Escambia County

• Officers Lugg and Burkhead responded to information they received about a subject living on a vessel in Bayou Chico who had an active warrant. The officers located the subject on his vessel, which was substantially dismantled due to not having any proper steering or propulsion. After conducting an interview with the subject, he admitted the vessel was his and knew it was a derelict vessel. The subject was charged with leaving a vessel on the waters of the state in derelict condition. The officers transported the subject to the Escambia County Jail. 
• Officer Lugg and Lieutenant Corbin identified two vessels and began the derelict vessel process. The owner was cited for leaving vessels on the waters of the state in derelict condition. 
• Lieutenant Corbin was contacted by an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy regarding a traffic stop he had conducted around 2 a.m. The driver was in possession of a recently harvested antlerless deer after the season had closed. Lieutenant Corbin arrived on scene and interviewed the subject, who admitted to killing the deer during the afternoon with a crossbow and showed the harvest location on a map. Lieutenant Corbin went to the area and found an arrow with dried blood and a blood trail. The area is private property and the subject did not have permission to hunt or be on the property. The subject was charged with harvesting an antlerless deer during closed season. 

Franklin County

• Officers Hartzog and T. Nelson observed a recreational vessel with two individuals on board leaving from the bank of the East River with gear consistent with wild hog hunting. The officers stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. During the inspection the officers observed the vessel displayed registration indicating it was a homemade vessel, but a contradicting hull identification number was attached to the stern along with a manufacturer's decal on the side. Through further investigation, it was determined the vessel was recently purchased and the previous owner forged a vessel builder's statement and committed title fraud. The violations were cited accordingly. 
• Officers Hartzog and Forbes observed a recreational vessel on the Carrabelle River with two individuals who were fishing. The officers stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. During the inspection, the officers observed the individuals to be in possession of undersized red drum and one of the individuals to be over his daily bag limit. The violations were cited accordingly. 
• Officers Hartzog and Forbes were conducting a night water patrol on Apalachicola Bay and observed a commercial vessel with one individual on board who was flounder gigging. The officers stopped the vessel to conduct a resource and boating safety inspection. The individual was identified as a commercial angler with extensive history of resource violations. During the inspection, the subject was observed to be in possession of multiple undersized flounder. The violations were cited accordingly. 

Santa Rosa County

• Officer Brown was on patrol conducting shore-based resource and license inspections when he observed a individuals fishing at a local boat ramp. While conducting a resource inspection, Officer Brown observed what appeared to be an undersized striped bass on a cooler being used for bait. Upon further investigation, Officer Brown located two undersized spotted seatrout and an undersized redfish. The individual was cited appropriately.
• Officer Bower located a sailboat that appeared to be a derelict vessel. It tilted to its side and had washed ashore and was grounded. The vessel did not have a 360 white navigation light displayed. The owner was issued a notification of rights package and a notice to appear citation for storing a derelict vessel upon waters of the state and a warning for vessel breaking anchor and a warning for no navigational lights present. 
• Officers Bown and Waters conducted a resource inspection on a subject fishing with a rod and reel. The subject stated he had a valid fishing license but did not have it in his possession. Upon investigation, the officers confirmed he did not have a fishing license and had an active warrant. The officers placed the subject under arrest for his warrant and he was transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail. The subject was cited appropriately.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Escambia County

• Officer Lugg participated in a field day outreach event for about 400 students at Beulah Academy of Science Middle School. Officer Lugg discussed water and boating safety while the students explored an FWC patrol vessel on display.
• Officer Lugg, Officer Wilkenson, and Officer Manning participated an outreach event at the yearly Outcast Bait and Tackle Shop sale that attracts thousands of anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Boating safety and marine law information was provided to attendees.

CASES

Clay County

• Officer Specialist Starling responded to a call from dispatch in reference to persons possibly trespassing. He discovered three subjects, one adult and two juveniles, had trespassed while attempting to take wild turkeys out of season. During the investigation, it was revealed one of the juveniles also had taken a wild turkey out of season earlier in the day and hid it the woods with two shotguns that had been in their possession while trespassing. Officer Starling issued citations for trespassing, taking wild turkey during a closed season, attempting to take wild turkey during a closed season, and willfull and wanton waste. The two juveniles received notices to appear and were turned over to their parents. The adult was booked into Clay County Jail.

Gilchrist County

• Officer Specialists Robson and Troiano responded to a local wildlife management area for a complaint of illegal wild turkey hunting. The officers located a subject in the WMA with a ground blind, loaded shotgun, turkey calls and camouflage. The officers discovered the subject had an active arrest warrant. He was transported to the Gilchrist County jail for the warrant. Officer Robson will file charges with the State Attorney’s Office for attempting to take turkey out of season, having no hunting license or turkey permit. 

Lafayette County

• Officer Clark was conducting patrol around Adams Lake in Lafayette County when he observed a subject fishing. During the resource inspection, it was discovered the subject had an expired fishing license and an active warrant for Suwannee County. The subject was transported to the county jail for the active warrant and issued a citation for an expired fishing license.

Taylor County

• Officers Rowe and Edwards and Lieutenant Loyed responded to an airboat accident at Keaton Beach. The operator of the airboat hit a stump and made impact with a palm tree causing four occupants to be ejected from the boat. Two subjects were transported to a local hospital. The operator received a citation for the navigation violation.

CASES

Flagler County

• Officer Specialist Bernard observed a group of anglers throwing a cast net in a pond. He stopped to conduct a freshwater fisheries inspection and found three bass had been harvested using the cast net. The subject who harvested the bass received a citation for harvesting freshwater gamefish using an illegal method.

Indian River County

• Officer Marshall conducted a resource inspection on a fishing vessel that had returned to a boat ramp. Officer Marshall asked the two subjects if they had any luck and they said they caught some fish but didn’t know what they were or know the regulations. Officer Marshall’s resource inspection revealed the subjects were in possession of a red drum, which are currently not legal to possess in the Indian River. The subjects were cited accordingly.
• Officer Mock and Lieutenant Lightsey were on night patrol and observed two vehicles stop in the roadway and turn their headlights off. One of the subjects shined a spotlight into the fields from both sides of the vehicles. One of the vehicles drove down the roadway with headlights still out, continuing to shine the spotlight. A stop was conducted to address the activity. One of the subjects admitted to looking for wildlife and had a loaded hunting rifle. A notice to appear was issued for the violation.

Lake County

• Officer Specialist Scrambling and Officer Stanford received information about a wild turkey taken in an area of Seminole State Forest closed to hunting. The officers located the subjects in question who stated they had permission to hunt a piece of private property. They accessed the property and immediately saw wild turkeys. The subjects went to a location to set up and ended up on state property closed to hunting. The youth harvested a gobbler and hen turkey on the state lands. The officers addressed the violations accordingly with the adult guide.

Volusia County

• Officer Cornell was on patrol when he noticed a pile of trash dumped in the parking lot of the trailhead for the Florida Trail just off US-19 in the Ocala National Forest. He examined the pile of discarded carpet, tiles, old lumber/debris, pieces of furniture and other construction materials and found several items with a name and address on them. Officer Cornell went to the address and found more debris matching the items in the dump pile. He found and interviewed the subject who dumped the trash. In addition, he obtained text conversation screenshots and a sworn written statement that the subject had received compensation to dispose of the trash. Officer Cornell gathered evidence and took a report documenting the violations and filed the appropriate charges with the State Attorney’s Office.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Indian River County

• Officers Mock and Marshall, along with Lieutenant Lightsey attended the Indian River County Sheriff's BBQ to benefit the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranch. The officers brought patrol trucks, an airboat, and a juvenile alligator. The officers were able to share their role in conservation law enforcement, information about co-existing with alligators and their partnership with the sheriff's office.

CASES

Broward County

• Officers Willis and Giani conducted a resource inspection on a vessel at Port Everglades Inlet that revealed a subject in possession of an undersized swordfish. The subject was issued a notice to appear citation for the violation. 
• Officers Bruder and Bovee conducted a fisheries inspection of a vessel with three occupants coming into the Port Everglades Inlet. The inspection revealed that each occupant had their own cooler. The first cooler had three out-of-season graysby grouper and one undersized yellowtail snapper. The second cooler had two undersize yellowtail snapper and an out-of-season and undersized hogfish. The third one had two undersized yellowtail snapper and an out-of-season and undersized red grouper. All three subjects were issued notice to appear citations for their violations. 
• Officers Bovee, Comartin, and Walcott conducted a resource inspection on a vessel at the Hillsboro Inlet that revealed an undersized and out-of-season scamp grouper. Two of the subjects on board advised they caught the two grouper and were issued notice to appear citations for the violations.  
• Officers Bovee, Comartin and Walcott conducted a resource inspection on a vessel with rods and reels in the Intracoastal Waterway near Alsdorf Boat Ramp in Pompano Beach. The officers discovered undersized spiny lobster and issued the subject a notice to appear citation for the violation. 
• Officers Walcott and Giani conducted a resource inspection on a vessel with fishing equipment on state waters.  The inspection revealed an undersized mutton snapper in a plastic cooler. Two of the subjects on the vessel admitted to catching the mutton snapper and were issued notice to appear citations. 
• Officers Giani and Walcott conducted a resource inspection on a vessel at the Hillsboro inlet that revealed one undersize and out-of-season red grouper. The subject was issued a notice to appear citation for the violations. 

Hendry County

• Officers Watson and Ciprich responded to a complaint of hunting on South Florida Water Management District property. A camera had captured a photo of a subject entering a hunting blind with a rifle overlooking a corn pile. The officers located the subject who admitted to placing the corn and hunting the area for over a year, illegally entering the property by walking past a no trespassing sign. The subject was found to have a felony warrant out of Michigan. Officer Watson placed the subject under arrest and transported him to the Hendry County jail. In addition to the out-of-state warrant, the subject was charged with entering SFWMD lands posted as closed, hunting SFWMD lands, and placing grain or food for wildlife on SFWMD lands.

St. Lucie County

• FWC was notified of a boating incident involving a patrol vessel from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office where a deputy was ejected from the vessel and then struck by the boat. The FWC will lead for the boating incident investigation.