FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Reports: May 24-30

May 24, 2024 through May 30, 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

Bay County

• Officer Jarrell was on patrol in Grand Lagoon when he observed a vessel returning from fishing with four people on board. A resource inspection showed the captain was in possession of a gag grouper during closed season. The individual was issued a citation for the violation. 
• Officer Specialist Alsobrooks was on patrol in St. Andrews Bay with Officer Jarrel when they observed a vessel returning from fishing with five people on board. A fisheries inspection revealed two undersized gray triggerfish. The captain of the vessel was issued a citation for the violation. 
• Officer Jarrell and Lieutenant Wicker were on patrol in East Bay when they observed a vessel fishing with two people on board. A fisheries inspection revealed an undersized red drum and an undersized flounder. Upon interviewing the subjects, the captain of the vessel admitted to catching both fish. A warning was issued for the flounder and a citation was issued for the red drum. 
• Officers Jarrell and Gerber were on patrol in the Gulf of Mexico when they observed a vessel returning from fishing with two people on board. During a resource inspection, one out-of-season red snapper was discovered. The captain of the vessel was issued a citation for the violation. 
• Officer Specialist Alsobrooks, Officer Jarrell and Lieutenant Wicker were on patrol in Grand Lagoon when they observed four people fishing from a vessel. During a resource inspection, two undersized greater amberjack were discovered. Upon interviewing the subjects, the officers determined the captain of the vessel caught the fish. A citation was issued for the violation. 
• Officer Specialist Alsobrooks, Officer Jarrell and Lieutenant Wicker were on patrol in Grand Lagoon when they observed four people fishing on a vessel. During the inspection, two undersized scamp were discovered. Two individuals caught the fish and each received a citation for the violation. 

Escambia County

• Officer Hahr and Lieutenant Lambert responded to a boating accident in which one vessel struck a much larger one as it pulled away. The operator of the smaller vessel was asked to stop and provide information but continued away from the scene. After several hours, the officers located the owner of the boat. The owner was charged with a navigation rule violation and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. 
• Officer Hahr and Lieutenant Lambert responded to a request from Naval Air Station Pensacola Police regarding a boat that had entered the security zone in Bayou Grande. One of their officers spoke to the operator of the boat and told him to leave, but the subject argued with him. Officer Hahr charged the boat operator with entering a military security zone.

Gulf County

• Officer Butts was on patrol at the St. Joe city boat ramp when he observed a boat at the loading area. Upon conducting a resource inspection, Officer Butts located three out-of-season red snapper. The captain was cited accordingly. 

Santa Rosa County

• Officers Bower and Brown conducted a livery inspection of a rental company operating out of a trailer used to rent paddlecraft. There was no paddlecraft safety information or required signage displayed at the livery for renters or members of the public. When the officers conducted the inspection, it was also determined the company did not have a valid FWC issued livery permit. The manager was issued a notice to appear for the violations. 
• Officers Brown and Bower were on patrol when they observed a vessel returning from the Gulf of Mexico with fishing equipment. The officers conducted a vessel stop and located two undersized greater amberjack. Two of the occupants on the vessel admitted to spearing the undersized amberjack and keeping them. They were cited appropriately

CASES

Alachua County

• Master Officer Stanley and Senior Officer Reith received information about a subject killing an alligator in his front pasture. They identified a subject and interviewed him at his residence. The subject stated he discovered an alligator in his horse pasture and shot it with a pistol and his son-in-law killed it with a shotgun. His son-in-law transported the alligator to his residence to clean it and prepare it for eating. The officers located two large white coolers at the son-in-law’s residence, which contained the alligator on ice. The son-in-law admitted to killing the alligator and was issued appropriate citations for the violations.
• Master Officer Stanley observed a subject returning from fishing on Orange Lake and conducted a boating safety and resource inspection. Officer Stanley found the subject was in possession of 70 bream. The daily bag limit for bream is 50 per person. Appropriate citations were issued.
• Master Officer Stanley responded to information regarding multiple subjects trespassing on a private rock mine. Officer Stanley observed two subjects trying to hide with fishing rods. He contacted the subjects and determined they did not have permission to be on the property. While he was escorting the two subjects off the property, he observed two other subjects with fishing equipment and a recently caught largemouth bass. The four subjects all admitted to climbing over the 20-foot berm and entering the property. All subjects were issued appropriate citations for the violations.

Citrus County

• Officer Jacobs was patrolling property owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District when he observed two individuals he believed where hunting. Officer Jacobs interviewed the subjects and discovered two firearms placed against a tree. The two individuals admitted they were hunting for wild hogs. Officer Jacobs issued both subjects a citation for hunting on closed SWFWMD lands. 
• Officer Jacobs observed two individuals on the main trail of the McGregor Smith Preserve hunting for wild hogs, which is prohibited in that area. Citations were issued.
• Officer Jacobs contacted multiple individuals over the course of two days who were illegally camping at Flying Eagle wildlife Management Area campground. They were issued citations for overstaying a reservation and several individuals trespassed.

Clay County

• Investigator Izsak and Senior Officer Nasworth conducted an inspection at a taxidermy studio and discovered 23 violations involving multiple states including Florida. Senior Officer Nasworth Issued the subject numerous warnings and one citation for the violations. They are working with the affected states and federal agencies to further investigate violations. 

Dixie County

• Officer Clark and Investigator Troiano conducted a fisheries inspection on a recreational fishing vessel in Horseshoe Beach. During the inspection, they located five undersized spotted seatrout aboard the vessel. There were also multiple licenses and boating safety violations. Appropriate citations were issued for the violations.
• Officers Robson and Sheffield observed a vessel being operated at night on the Steinhatchee River without the required navigation lights. The officers stopped the vessel and found the subject possessed three undersized spotted seatrout. Officer Sheffield issued the subject a notice to appear for the violation. He also issued written warnings for the navigation light violation and a boat safety violation.

Duval County

• Officers Austin and Sayne were conducting a proactive resource protection patrol at the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier. Officer Sayne observed a subject fishing and upon inspection, the officers discovered the subject was in possession of six bluefish and one spotted seatrout. The subject was over the daily bag limit of three bluefish and the spotted seatrout was undersized. The subject was issued citations for both violations.
• Officers Goodfellow and Hauge and Lieutenant Givens were conducting a proactive fisheries patrol in the federal waters adjacent to Duval County. The officers observed a fishing vessel close to a popular fishing reef. When Lieutenant Givens activated the patrol vessel’s blue lights, one subject started throwing fish overboard. The officers found two dead red snappers floating just behind the fishing vessel. During an interview, the subject acknowledged throwing the red snapper overboard. An inspection also revealed the subjects did not have a descending device rigged and ready for use, which is required while fishing for or possessing snapper and grouper. Both subjects were issued federal citations for possessing red snapper during closed season, not having a descending device and for discarding fish upon the approach of a law enforcement vessel. The case will be forwarded to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for prosecution.

Gilchrist County

• Senior Officers Johnston, Yates, and Davenport assisted the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with the recovery of a firearm and magazine used during the commission of a homicide at Ginnie Springs. FWC officers quickly responded to the Santa Fe River near the incident location to preserve the integrity of the evidence and assist with crowd control as thousands of citizens were recreating there. Senior Officer Luke Davenport, who is a dive team member, entered the water and within a matter of minutes located the handgun and magazine used during the homicide. The evidence was immediately turned over to FDLE crime scene technicians who were on scene.

Lafayette County

• Officer Clark encountered a group of all-terrain vehicle riders stopped along a trail in Mallory Swamp Wildlife Management Area. A female was lying on an ATV suffering from a medical emergency. Officer Clark quickly transported the female out of Mallory Swamp WMA to emergency medical technicians waiting on the highway.

Levy County

• Officer Fox was conducting resource inspections at the Highway 40 boat ramp in Yankeetown. During one inspection it was revealed two individuals possessed a gag grouper and a spiny lobster out of season. Officer Fox also noticed the spiny lobster had been speared with a spear gun. He issued the individuals citations for the violations.

Taylor County

• Officer Anderson was checking anglers at Hickory Mound and found a subject that had an active warrant out of Taylor County. The subject was placed under arrest and taken to the Taylor County jail.

OFFSHORE PATROL

• Officers Geib and Read were on federal fisheries patrol out of Mayport inlet. They conducted a fisheries and safety inspection on a vessel several miles offshore and found an Atlantic sharpnose shark, undersized triggerfish and undersized black seabass on board. The subjects did not have the proper Highly Migratory Species angling permit to retain the shark. The subjects did not have a descending device, which is required for possessing or fishing for any species in the snapper/grouper complex. Federal citations were issued to the captain of the boat.
• Officers Geib and Read were on federal fisheries patrol out of Mayport inlet. After inspecting a boat, red snapper fillets were found onboard. It is prohibited to possess fish without the heads and fins intact. The subjects did not have a descending device, which is required for possessing or fishing for any species in the snapper/grouper complex. Federal citations were issued.

CASES

Indian River County

• Officer Specialist Delano and Officer Hopkins were on water patrol outside Sebastian Inlet when they observed a fishing vessel returning to shore. A resource inspection revealed undersized mahi-mahi and an out-of-season red snapper. The subject was cited accordingly. Moments later, the officers observed another fishing vessel returning to shore and a resource inspection revealed undersized sailfish. These individuals were also cited.
• Captain Gaudion, Officer Specialist Delano and Officer St. Martin were on water patrol near Sebastian Inlet when they observed a fishing vessel returning to shore. During a resource inspection, the officers observed one of the crew members holding something behind his back and then dropping it into the water. The officers retrieved the object, which was a bag of illegally filleted fish. The subject was cited accordingly.

Osceola County

• Officer Specialist Marroquin received a Wildlife Alert tip about a subject hunting wild hogs out of season in a wildlife management area. Officer Marroquin relayed the information to Lieutenant Lightsey, who was in the area. After gathering further information, Officer Crespi, K-9 Officers Platt and Hocker and Lieutenant Lightsey worked to find the subject, who was still inside the WMA. The subject admitted to shooting at and missing a wild hog along the roadway. A notice to appear was issued for the offense.

Marion County

• While patrolling a local wildlife management area, Officer Lambert heard hunting dogs in the distance. He located an individual with several dogs on the ground, all equipped with tracking/corrective collars. The subject initially claimed to have a permit for running fox, but after further interviewing and investigation, it was determined he did not have a permit. The subject was cited for running hunting dogs out of season.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

• Officer Specialist Weber (public information officer) and Northeast Region Public Information Director Kristen Turner launched the safe boating week initiative with multiple news outlets doing ride-alongs to educate the public about safe boating practices.
• Officer Specialist Weber (public information officer) attended an outreach event in Winter Park about safe boating. Officer Weber answered many questions from the public ranging from boating safety to fishing rules and regulations. Many kids enjoyed taking photographs in the patrol vessel as well.

CASES

Lee County

• FWC officers patrolled during the Boca Grande Sandbar party, which draws a big crowd of people in boats and personal watercraft. Officers were on hand to help ensure public safety and issued 56 written warnings and 26 citations and arrested four individuals for operating a vessel while under the influence

CASES

Broward County

• Officers Bovee and Lopez were patrolling offshore from the Port Everglades Inlet and observed a personal watercraft displaying a dive flag. The officers conducted a resource inspection and found a subject was in possession of a speared, undersized black grouper. Bovee issued the subject a notice to appear citation for harvesting an undersized black grouper.
• Officers Rigali and Davis conducted vessel patrol at the Port Everglades Inlet. There, they observed a vessel with rods, reels and coolers. The officers conducted a resource inspection and found the subjects on board did not have fishing licenses and were in possession of an undersized red grouper. The operator of the vessel was issued a notice to appear citation for possession of an undersized red grouper and the operator and all occupants received citations for not having valid fishing licenses.
• Officers Bovee, Rigali and Lopez conducted a resource inspection on a vessel at the Intracoastal Waterway and Port Everglades Inlet. Their inspection revealed the subject possessed four undersized gray triggerfish, one undersized yellowtail snapper and one dead scrawled filefish. Rigali issued the subject notice to appear citations for harvesting an undersized gray trigger fish and yellowtail snapper as well as citations for marine life not landed alive, and marine life not kept in a circulating live well and marine life caught with prohibited gear. 
• Officer Hammad observed a vehicle with a bucket of game fish and triploid grass carp at A-1 FEB. Hammad contacted five subjects to investigate. All five subjects admitted to using a net to catch several gamefish and triploid grass carp. Hammad issued all subjects notice to appear citations for possession of triploid grass carp without a permit and illegal method of taking black bass and bluegill (gamefish). In addition, Hammad issued all five subjects civil infractions for no freshwater fishing license.  
• Officers Walcott and McCollin-Davis conducted a resource inspection on a vessel with fishing equipment that had returned to the 15^th Street boat ramp in Fort Lauderdale.  Their inspection revealed the subject was in possession of an undersized mutton snapper and an undersized yellowtail snapper. The subject was issued two notice to appear citations for the violations. 
• Lieutenant McDonald observed a pickup truck enter Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park towing a personal watercraft trailer with no registration plate. McDonald stopped the vehicle to investigate. The driver stated the trailer was recently purchased, however, he could not produce any paperwork for the trailer. McDonald issued the driver notice to appear traffic citation the violation. The driver was also issued a warning for the tag on the vehicle not being properly displayed.  
• Officer Dudas and Lieutenant Harp along with officers from the U.S. Coast Guard inspected several charter vessels at the Intracoastal Waterway and Port Everglades Inlet. Their inspections revealed three vessels were operating as illegal charters. USCG issued the captains of the three vessels federal citations for operation of illegal charter and terminated two of the voyages.
• FWC officers along with law enforcement officers from partner agencies patrolled during the Memorial Day weekend to help ensure public safety and protect the resource. Officers issued 184 warnings and 49 infractions related to boating safety and issued 11 citations for no fishing license. 

Hendry County

• Officer Watson was conducting resource and license inspections on anglers and found a subject who was cast netting and possessed multiple species of freshwater gamefish including largemouth bass and different species of panfish. It is illegal to harvest freshwater gamefish with a cast net. The subject was issued a notice to appear for the violation. 

Okeechobee County

• Officer Dziewiatkowski observed a vehicle displaying a light into palmettos and grasslands from a roadway in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. The officer contacted the vehicle and upon inspection, multiple rifles and handheld lights were found in the occupants’ possession. All subjects were issued the appropriate resource citations. 

Palm Beach County

• Officers and investigators undertook a one-day detail focusing on the self-pay stations at J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. Patrons entering the management area must either pay a daily fee via a self-pay station located at each entrance or possess a management area permit. Officers issued 13 infractions and 13 warnings and apprehended an individual with a felony warrant. 
• Officers Klein and Rea conducted a resource inspection on a vessel returning from fishing. The inspection revealed fillets from a sailfish as well as a dealership registration on the vessel being used for personal recreational purposes. The vessel owner was cited accordingly for failure to land the sailfish in whole condition and the registration violation. 
• Officers Klein and Rea were checking people fishing along the pier at Phil Foster Park where they discovered a subject in possession of an undersized mutton snapper and an undersized yellowtail snapper. The subject stated he had no idea what kind of fish they were and no knowledge of the size and bag limits for the fish. In addition, the subject did not have a valid saltwater shoreline license. The officers explained to the subject how to identify the fish and look up the regulations as well as how to obtain a license. The subject was cited accordingly.
• Officer Morgan checked a vessel returning to the boat ramp from a fishing trip and discovered multiple violations. In a cooler, the officer found nine porkfish and three parrotfish, which are listed as marine life species and are required to be kept alive if possessed. Additionally, the officer found a gray triggerfish, a lane snapper, and a yellowtail snapper, all of which were under the legal-size limit. The subject was cited accordingly.
• Officer Morgan inspected a vessel returning form a fishing trip. Officer Morgan inspected the fish in the box and found the catch of yellowtail snapper complied with the size and bag limits. When asked if there were other fish on board, the operator admitted there were more yellowtail snapper in the vessel’s live well. There Officer Morgan found four more yellowtail snapper, two of which were under the legal-size limit. The operator was cited accordingly.

SEARCH AND RESCUE

Palm Beach County

• Officer Spirito, Officer Schroer and Officer Delaney responded to a Dubois Park visitor with a deep laceration to his leg. Officers treated the injury and stabilized the situation until Fire Rescue arrived and transported the subject to an area hospital.

CASES 

Collier County

• Officers Richards, Foell, Piekenbrock and Sturgeon were conducting a four-day patrol surrounding Dry Tortugas National Park on FWC’s offshore patrol vessel Trident. During the patrol, officers located five vessels fishing within the Tortugas Ecological Reserves and one vessel fishing within the Dry Tortugas Research Natural Area. The inspections revealed an assortment of fish species, including undersized snapper and grouper. The officers also inspected a vessel fishing in federal waters of the South Atlantic. Upon approach, the vessel operator threw a partially filleted snowy grouper into the water. An inspection of the vessel revealed over the limit of snowy grouper, out-of-season red snapper and undersized dolphinfish and lane snapper. The federal fisheries violations were documented accordingly and forwarded to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• While on the FWC’s offshore patrol vessel Gulf Ranger, Officers Yurewitch, Goff, and Aliff along with Lieutenant Knutson conducted a resource inspection aboard a vessel in the Marco River. During the inspection, the officers located eight barracuda with six of them over the maximum allowable size limit of 36 inches. In Collier County waters of the Gulf of Mexico, vessels are allowed six barracuda of which only one may be over the 36” maximum size limit. The officers issued notice to appears for the violation.
• While on the FWC’s offshore patrol vessel Gulf Ranger, Officers Yurewitch, Goff, and Aliff along with Lieutenant Knutson observed a vessel in federal waters with fishing equipment. The officers conducted a resource inspection that revealed three African pompano of which one was under the 24-inch minimum size limit. The African Pompano limit is two per vessel. Additionally, officers found one undersized red grouper. The operator of the vessel was issued a citation for the violations.
• Officer Reams observed two individuals cast netting in an area known to have snook and alerted Officers Lypak and Wagner. Upon a resource inspection, the officers found an undersized and out-of-season snook taken by cast net. One of the subjects admitted to taking the snook by cast net and was cited appropriately. 
• Officer Pierre-Louis was on patrol in Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park when he conducted a resource inspection on an individual walking in from the pass. The inspection revealed the subject was in possession of 11 permit, which is nine fish over the daily recreational bag limit. The inspection also revealed all the permit were under the recreational minimum size of 11 inches. The officer issued the subject a notice to appear for the violations.
• Officer Conroy was conducting resource inspections under the Jolly Bridge. During a resource inspection of three subjects, she discovered a goliath grouper in a cooler under a plastic bag, along with an undersized mangrove snapper. The violations were handled appropriately.
• Officer Conroy, Officer Jackson, and Officer Delgado were at the Collier Boat Ramp when a verbal altercation occurred. Officers were able to separate the crowd and defuse the incident. The investigation was turned over to Collier County Sheriff’s Office when they arrived on scene.

Miami-Dade County

• Officers Veiga, Whale, Gutierrez and Lieutenant Dominguez responded to a boating accident involving a livery. After concluding a livery inspection, the livery had several violations that resulted in officers issuing citations.

Monroe County

• Officers Rabold and Allen initiated a stop on a vessel that had lowered its dive flag, pulled anchor and began running on plane ocean side off Sugarloaf. Upon noticing the officers’ patrol vessel lights, one of the individuals grabbed what appeared to be a small trap and threw it into the water. Officers were unable to locate the item in the water during the resource inspection. Once the individuals were released, officers’ reviewed the tracks on the GPS and after about 15 minutes in Officer Allen located the dumped evidence, a small pinfish trap, in 12’ of water. The trap contained seven undersized hogfish and eight wrung spiny lobster tails. Arrest warrants were obtained for two  of the individuals for the violations. One individual was arrested a few days later at a boat ramp.
• Investigator Chris Mattson observed a vessel displaying a diver down flag while on federal water patrol. The subjects were wearing wetsuits and had just finished spearfishing inside the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is closed to spearfishing. Investigator Mattson conducted a resource inspection, which revealed they had six fish onboard the vessel. The captain admitted to spearing all the fish onboard within the Key Largo EMA. He received a federal citation for the violation.
• Officer Riana Sargent and Officer Paris Winter responded to a report from Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park staff about an individual harvesting protected species by spearfishing. Officer Sargent observed three speared fish, an undersized hogfish, a goliath grouper, which are a federally protected species, and a 12.5” gray angelfish. Gray angelfish are classified as marine life and cannot be harvested with a speargun and an individual may not be in possession of a gray angelfish larger than 8 inches. Officer Sargent placed the subject under arrest for the violations.
• Officers Alexander Oravec and Jason Rhoda were conducting water patrol near Whale Harbor Channel when they observed a vessel with two subjects onboard come up on plane within a slow speed zone. The officers attempted to initiate a vessel stop to address the violation. The vessel operator continued traveling at a high rate of speed with the vessel operator looking back at the patrol vessel and maneuvering his boat to evade the officers. The officers in the boat lost visual contact, however, FWC aircraft saw the operator pull the vessel into a residential canal, place it on a floating dock and run it under the residence. Officers Rhoda and Oravec located the operator at the residence. The subject was booked into Plantation Key Jail and charged with reckless operation of a vessel and fleeing or eluding. 

Statewide Summary of Boating Related Law Enforcement Activities

For May 1 - 31, 2024