On February 3, Benton was stopped while he was illegally diving for oysters in the Little Choptank River. When asked for ID, Benton gave NRP Officers a tidal fish license in another waterman’s name, representing himself as that person.
Benton was charged with fraud, fraud to avoid prosecution, fraud to avoid payment greater than $500 and theft. Benton was also charged with taking oysters without a commercial license, failure to pay oyster surcharge and taking oyster for commercial purposes by diving in an area reserved for hand tongs. Benton faces penalties that range from $250 to $25,000 and 15 years in prison. Benton was jailed in the Dorchester County Detention Center on $10,000 bond.
Somerset County – On February 10 at 7 a.m., NRP Officers charged five individuals with harvesting oysters in the Tangier Sound Oyster Sanctuary. NRP Officers were aboard a Maryland State Police helicopter when they noticed three commercial fishing boats illegally dredging for oysters in the sanctuary.
Officers charged the following individuals with unlawfully harvesting oysters in an oyster sanctuary:
Steven P. Benton, 43 from Deale Island, and Darin K. Ford, 46 from Princess Anne, aboard the Donna Lee.
Andrew A. Benton, 37 and Ulyses Seawright Jr., 33 both from Wenona, aboard the Gentle Breeze.
David T. Wheatley Sr., 47 from Wenona aboard the Just Faith.
NRP Officers seized Wheatley’s oyster dredge from his boat. This was the second time this season that Wheatley was apprehended in the oyster sanctuary. His previous violation occurred on January 20.
Andrew A. Benton, 37 and Ulyses Seawright Jr., 33 both from Wenona, aboard the Gentle Breeze.
David T. Wheatley Sr., 47 from Wenona aboard the Just Faith.
NRP Officers seized Wheatley’s oyster dredge from his boat. This was the second time this season that Wheatley was apprehended in the oyster sanctuary. His previous violation occurred on January 20.
St. Mary’s County – On February 9 at 3 p.m., NRP charged three individuals with removing oysters from an oyster sanctuary and possessing undersized oysters in the St. Mary’s River near Great Mills. Officers charged Migdael A. Trujillo, 32, Lorenzo A. Regalado, 32 and Jose M. Vaquers, 42 all from Dameron, Maryland. A trial date of May 18, 2012 has been set for the District Court of Maryland for St. Mary’s County.
Under Governor Martin O’Malley’s leadership, increased law enforcement is part of an overall effort to deter poaching and toughen penalties for those who violate fishing laws in Maryland, under the Fisheries Management Reform Act of 2007. A noteworthy part of this effort is the launch of fresh enforcement initiatives and enhancements including the installation of a network of radar and camera units to assist the NRP in monitoring sensitive areas that are prone to poaching. DNR, the Office of the Attorney General and the District Court of Maryland have also expanded a program that sets aside specific days to try only cases dealing with natural resources violations.
No comments:
Post a Comment