Highlights: April 2010

Northern Region Highlights

While conducting a foot patrol on Opening Day of turkey season, CO Sutton watched a hunter attempt to hide something when he observed the officer approaching his location. The officer conducted an inspection and found 3 rifled slugs the hunter had hidden in the brush. Upon further investigation, it was determined the hunter was also trespassing. Complaints for both violations were filed.

CO Nestel participated at the “Law Enforcement Career Day” at Sussex County Community College. The officer was very well received and discussed the position of Conservation Officer with many interested students.

CO Sutton completed an investigation of a taxidermist which began in December 2009.The taxidermist, as well as 3 of his customers, were found to be in possession of unregistered deer parts. The taxidermist was also in violation of failing to keep records. Appropriate charges were signed for all the individuals.
COs Paul and Sutton maintained the Law Enforcement booth at the Pequest Trout Hatchery Open House. The event was well attended and the COs assisted visitors with questions concerning fishing regulations.

During the 2009 Turkey Season, CO Paul located a “bunker” that was baited with corn. The bunker was a metal structure which was partially buried in the ground with a locked door. The CO checked the structure many times during the season and was unable to locate anyone. The officer checked the area several days before Opening Day of the 2010 season and found the site was once again baited with corn. On the third day of the season, the officer approached the area and noticed the bunker door was unlocked. The officer located a hunter inside and determined he was hunting turkeys over bait. The appropriate summons was issued.

Lt Panico responded to a complaint of individuals using a cast net in a trout stocked stream. Upon his arrival, he observed 2 individuals fishing with fishing poles and 2 using the net. The officer was able to determine that 1 individual was fishing without a license and the second was using his girl friend’s license. The 2 individuals using the net were found to be in possession of 4 sub-legal black crappies. All the individuals received summonses for the violations.

During the report period, CO Kuechler patrolled the Newark Bay Complex for striped bass activity. The officer inspected a large number of fishermen and issued 24 summonses for size and daily bag limit violations.

Lt. Panico and CO Ziegler responded to a call for assistance from the Vernon PD concerning a resident who shot and killed a black bear. The officers arrived and determined the bear had been shot with a .22 caliber rifle by an individual who fled the scene. The individual’s son told the officers that his father had shot the bear twice, put the rifle in the house and drove away. The officers were able to contact the individual on his cell phone and eventually convinced him to return to his residence. The individual told the officers he shot the bear because he didn’t want it on his property. The rifle was seized as evidence and a summons for killing a black bear was issued.

Central Region Highlights

While watching fishermen on the Delaware River catching herring and striped bass, CO Mascio observed two fishermen take 17 herring over their limit and put them in their live well. Lieutenants Lacroix and Sich assisted with keeping the boat under surveillance throughout the day and evening. When the boat came back to shore, that night, CO Mascio conducted an inspection. At that time, the fishermen had under their limit of herring on the boat. After questioning, both fishermen admitted to taking more than 10 fish each. One fisherman was charged with five herring over the limit, the other one herring over the limit. While at the boat ramp, CO Mascio also charged another fisherman with taking two striped bass during the closed season and interference after Lt. Sich located two 28 inch striped bass in a plastic bag shoved inside a small compartment on their boat.
COs Martiak and McManus were on patrol late one Saturday night in the Caruso Village area of the Greenwood Forest WMA when they observed a vehicle parked in the woods and two young males sitting in the vehicle. A check of the vehicle registration showed that the plates did not match the vehicle. A check of the VIN showed that the vehicle had never been registered. Charges for fictitious plates, unregistered and uninsured vehicle and after hours were issued.

COs Martiak, McManus, Mascio and Tomlin and Lt. Lacroix were on patrol in the Greenwood Forest WMA when they came across a group of approximately 100 individuals in one of the fields having a party at 0300 hours on Easter morning. Two men were running sound equipment powered by generators. The group consisted of people mostly from Philadelphia and Delaware and a handful from New Jersey and New York. A number of tents were set up and there was a large amount of alcohol as well as a small amount of drugs and drug paraphernalia were found abandoned. Lacey Township was able to provide one officer for assistance. Approximately 15-20 people ran into the woods when the officers arrived on scene. In all, 84 people were issued a total of 99 summonses for various wildlife management are violations including organizing an event without a permit, off the established road, camping, interference, possession of alcohol and after hours.

Officers McManus and Mascio responded to the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area at the request of the Jackson Twp. Police dispatch to assist with a motor vehicle accident. A twenty year old male was driving while intoxicated and had crashed his pickup truck on one of the bridges within the management area. When the officers arrived on scene, they observed the subjects vehicle teetering on the bridge and very close to plunging into the creek. The subject had fallen into the creek when he exited his vehicle and was now suffering from hypothermia. Paramedics were summoned and they transported the subject to a local hospital for treatment. The subject’s vehicle was towed to a local impound yard and the State Police and Officer McManus will be issuing the appropriate charges.

Officers Martiak, Mascio, Mutone and Lieutenants Lacroix and Sich conducted a night patrol of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area. During their patrol, at approximately 1:00 AM, they encountered a large party within a restricted section of the wildlife management area. The party consisted of over twenty individuals. Various wildlife management violations were observed including camping, campfires, entering a restricted area, littering, alcohol and the illegal operation of ATV’s. The appropriate summonses were issued.

Southern Region Highlights

CO Ciraolo received a call regarding a dump site in Union Lake WMA and with the assistance of CO Ely began an investigation. The dump site contained items associated with the McDonald’s Corp. as well as several electronic terminals for cash registers. These cash registers contained several identifying tags and the officers began checking with local McDonald restaurants. The officers were able to identify the store that had contained the cash registers and after many interviews the officers found that the cash registers had been kept in a storage facility and the McDonald’s restaurant had paid an individual to clear out the storage area after selling the restaurant. The appropriate summonses have been issued to the responsible party.

CO Ciraolo, while on routine patrol, observed a truck parked on the side of Rt. 49 near Menantico WMA. The truck had obviously offloaded ATV’s and CO Ciraolo found a juvenile waiting at the vehicle for his turn to ride. While waiting for the riders to return a total of 18 additional vehicles were located. The property belongs to Atlantic Electric and the Nature Conservancy and lies adjacent to Menantico WMA. CO Stites arrived to assist CO Ciraolo as well as a State Trooper. One group of riders from Pennsylvania returned to their vehicles and was issued summonses. Lt. Massey arrived and entered the Atlantic Electric property to look for additional riders. Lt. Massey located 30 additional people just off the edge of our WMA and sent them back to their vehicles. COs Ciraolo and Stites processed the riders for operating ATV’s on the property of another and various other charges. A total of 28 individuals are receiving summonses.

CO Ely received a call from a DEP solid waste investigator regarding a dump site on Dennis Creek WMA. The DEP investigator felt that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge anyone. Letters with addresses and employee items from WAWA were located.

CO Ely met with the investigator and visited the site where he obtained additional evidence. From the evidence collected CO Ely was able to conduct an interview of a suspect. After the initial interview several items from the dump site that were specific to the suspect suddenly were removed from the site. The suspect presented a story that kids had stolen the items dumped from his truck at work at WAWA in September of 2009. Apparently, these kids held onto the items for 5 months then dumped them at the Dennis Creek WMA. In spite of this riveting story CO Ely issued two summonses for dumping.

CO Risher gave a presentation to Cumberland County Regional High School for Career Day. The focus of the presentation was to answer questions pertaining to the job of a Conservation Officer.

CO Fox received a call at home from Galloway PD concerning a white-tailed deer that was trapped in a fence. CO Fox responded and found a young deer that had somehow gotten wedged between two fences which were about one foot apart. The deer was cut and exhausted so CO Fox used tin-snips to cut a portion of a chain link fence and slowly encouraged the deer to move to the opening. After a short time the deer exited the fence and slowly walked into the adjacent wood lot.

On a very early Sunday morning CO Toppin received a call from a group of concerned fishermen about a large party taking place at Pembryn Lake WMA. CO Toppin responded to the complaint and was met by Winslow Township PD. CO Toppin along with Winslow Township PD took control of 18 individuals who were planning to exit the management area. All of the individuals were apprehended and the appropriate summonses were issued.
Responding to a complaint from a concerned fisherman CO Stites went to the DOD Ponds located in Oldmans Township, Salem County. CO Stites encountered several fishermen who had striped bass in their possession. As CO Stites approached one of the fishermen and the individual threw a bottle of beer into the river to avoid being caught with alcohol on a WMA. His efforts where to no avail and he was charged with possession of the alcohol, interference and several striped bass violations including short fish and closed season.

CO Kille successfully indicted two men facing criminal charges for the unlawful possession of weapons by a convicted felon during the 2009-2010 hunting season. The first man of Logan Township, Gloucester County was also subsequently charged with multiple drug offenses after the CO searched his home and discovered CDS and additional firearms. The second man of Monroe Township, Gloucester County was also charged with 12 violations of Title 23 for illegally hunting deer.

Marine Region Highlights

During this report period CO Soell settled two commercial cases. The first occurred in Little Egg Harbor Township Municipal Court and involved an eel pot fisherman who was charged with tampering with eel pots. It was discovered by CO Soell that this individual was utilizing another fisherman’s eel pots and claiming as his own. The fisherman pleaded guilty and paid a penalty of $1000.00 plus cost. The pots were returned to the rightful owner. In a separate case in Barnegat Light Municipal Court, The captain of the fishing vessel Karen L pleaded guilty to exceeding the black sea bass trip limit by 113 pounds. A $300.00 penalty was assessed along with 60 day suspension of the vessel’s black sea bass landing permit.

CO Scott was awakened early in the morning by a complaint from the Borough of Union Beach PD in reference to a fisherman who illegally possessed striped bass. CO Scott met the apprehending patrolman who seized three striped bass from the fisherman. The angler was issued a summons for exceeding the bag limit and another for possessing undersized striped bass.

CO Snellbaker and CO Nicklow assisted NMFS Special Agents Gilmore and Couse with the recovery and seizure of nearly 1200lbs of sea scallops illegally sold from a commercial scallop vessel which landed in Cape May. The Captain and the crew of the scallop vessel landed and sold 1200lbs of shucked sea scallops to a non-permitted bar, the Pic-A-Lilli Restaurant in Shamong Twp., Burlington County. This illegal sale by-passed Atlantic Capes Fisheries, the owner of the dock and vessel, as well as a federally permitted scallop dealer. The sea scallops landed and sold were easily identifiable since they were in a spawning phase causing them to take on orange or “pumpkin coloration”. From the dealer’s stand point, these scallops are not marketable. The dock/dealer had requested that their vessel not land them due to difficult marketability of the discolored product. The vessel’s crew instead sought out an illegal market for the scallops, which provided a cheaper supply for the bar. This unique color phase also aided officers in their inspection of the restaurant. The owners of the Pic-A-Lilli Bar recognized this and cooperated with the seizure of the scallops and subsequent investigation initiated by SA Couse. This investigation is continuing and federal charges are pending.

CO Petruccelli observed that the FV Western Explorer had completed their offload of sea scallops to Lund’s Fisheries in Cape May. CO Petruccelli boarded the vessel at the dock after the offload. During his inspection of its federal paper work and the fish hold of the vessel, he found one remaining 50lb bag of scallops which had not been recorded on the vessel’s logbook. CO Petruccelli suspected that this bag of scallops had not been included in the vessel’s offload either. Since the captain had left the vessel to get supplies at a local hardware store, CO Petruccelli asked the crew about the bag of scallops remaining on the vessel. None of the crew members could provide an explanation for the “oversight”. CO Petruccelli contacted the captain and requested he immediately return to the vessel. On his way back to the vessel the captain contacted Lund’s Fisheries and asked them to alter the offload documents to include the bag. Upon his return to the vessel the captain attempted to conceal the extra bag with the fictitious story. Currently CO Petruccelli and SA Couse of NMFS are investigating both Lunds Fisheries and the Captain of the Western Explorer for interference, and making false statements, and falsification of dealer reports.

CO Petruccelli observed two fishermen leaving the Two Mile Jetty on Cape May National Wildlife Refuge together. Each fisherman was carrying a bucket with fish in it. When the fishermen approached the parking area they split up. One fisherman walked to their vehicle in the parking lot and the other fisherman proceeded down the beach. CO Petruccelli was making observations from the dune area adjacent to the parking area and immediately stopped the individual approaching the car. He observed only legal sized tautog in his bucket and surmised that the illegal fish were with the other individual. By the time he realized that the illegal fish were with the second fisherman, that individual had entered a closed area of the refuge set aside for endangered species nesting. CO Petruccelli was able to catch up with that individual as he approached a side street which was the designated meeting point for both fishermen. CO Petruccelli found two undersized tautog in that his bucket. He issued the appropriate summons for the violation and contacted the Refuge Law Enforcement Officer for the closed area violation. Federal charges are pending.

On April 10, 2010 CO Petruccelli issued a summons to a commercial clammer in Middle twp. that had harvested and possessed 270 undersized hard clams out of 800 harvested; 33% undersized. The law allows for a 3% tolerance for compliance of the size limit. Some of the clams possessed measured as small as 1/2". The clammer blamed it on his rake that he used to harvest. He also said he forgot to cull his catch before transporting his clams. The appropriate summons for undersized clams was issued.

Training Unit Highlights

Captain Brown and Lieutenant Leonard attended an AR-15 armorer’s class presented by Sabre Tech. The class was hosted by the Division of Fish and Wildlife and held at the Colliers Mills Range and Training facility.