Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter

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Baltimore County – On Tuesday, February 27, the following individuals were found guilty in Baltimore County District Court. Charges were filed by the NRP during the latter part of the 2006 hunting season.

Bradley E Kahl, 23, of Baldwin was charged with possession of a weapon in a state park. Kahl received probation before judgment, 25 hours of community service and the forfeiture of his shotgun and ammunition.

Steven Brian Knouse, 43, and David Wayne Stambaugh, 40, both of Freeland were found guilty of using a rifle to hunt deer in a county restricted to shotgun only, hunting without written permission, and failure to wear fluorescent orange. Stambaugh was also found guilty of hunting without a hunting license. NRP charged the two men on November 25 while on foot patrol in the Loch Raven Reservoir property owned by Baltimore City. NRP also seized as evidence a Ruger Model 77 .308 caliber rifle from Knouse.

Knouse was fined $750, his rifle was forfeited to the State and a two-year suspension of his hunting license was imposed. Stambaugh was fined $650 and a two-year suspension of his hunting license was imposed as well.

Baltimore County - On Friday, March 2, Donna Lynn Frank, 51, of Baltimore was found guilty in Baltimore County District Court of operating a tree expert business without a license and false advertising or soliciting an unlicensed tree expert business.

Charges were filed by the NRP in November of 2006 after receiving a complaint via the Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, from a citizen that had hired Ms. Frank's company, Frank's Tree & Stump Service, LLC, to perform tree care services in March of 2006. Maryland Forest Service records confirmed that Franks is not a Licensed Tree Expert and that Frank's Tree & Stump Service, LLC has no licensees on staff. State law prohibits a person from soliciting, advertising, or representing himself or herself to the public as a tree expert, or assuming to practice as a tree expert without having received a license. She was fined a total of $570.

Following the trial, NRP officers issued Ms. Frank additional citations for operating a tree expert business without a license and false advertising or soliciting an unlicensed tree expert business related to a separate incident. That case is expected to go to trial in May.
 

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March 5, 2007

The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 280 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov