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Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter
Anne Arundel County – On Thursday, Nov. 20, at approximately 9 a.m. the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Stephen A. Smith, 60, of Tracys Landing with violating the day off restrictions for commercial crabbing.
NRP charged Smith after he was observed by NRP helicopter Natural 2 allegedly fishing commercial crab pots in the area of Herring Bay. The crew of Natural 2 contacted a NRP marine unit and directed the vessel to Smith.
A person licensed to catch crabs for sale may not set or retrieve gear or catch crabs for commercial purposes in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries on the second and third Thursdays in November.
A court date of Jan. 13, 2009 has been scheduled for Smith in Anne Arundel County District Court.
Caroline County – On Thursday, Nov. 20 at 12:40 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Dominick Dirocco, 56, Derek Phillip Dirocco, 21, both of Marydel and Jerry Dean Eaton, 24, of Henderson with trespassing near Sudlersville.
The incident started when NRP received a report from a concerned citizen, of three individuals parking a truck in the driveway of a residence in 1800 block of Busic Church Road. The three men then exited the truck and walked across the road into a wooded area that was posted property.
An NRP officer responded to the incident and observed the three men walking from the wooded area. The three men saw the officer and allegedly ran back into the woods. A perimeter was established by officers on the ground and NRP helicopter Natural 1 was called to the scene to search the area from above. The three were later located along Anderson Church Road. All three men were charged with trespassing on posted property.
Cecil County – On Saturday, Nov. 22, at 4:40 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Kevin Garber Jr., 25, of Middleton, Del. with multiple hunting violations on private property near Glen Farms. NRP responded to the area after receiving a report of possible illegal hunting activity.
NRP charged Garber after observing him allegedly hunting in Maryland from a tree stand located near the Delaware State Line. Garber was charged with hunting deer with a firearm during closed season, hunting on private property without written permission and failure to obtain a hunting license. NRP seized as evidence a 12-guage shotgun.
NRP contacted Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) officers to responded to the area after observing a white-tailed buck hanging from the deck railing and another white-tailed buck head on the deck of a residence in Delaware, where Garber’s truck was parked. NRP had walked to the residence with Garber to retrieve his identification. DNREC officers seized the two deer from the residence and are investigating that incident.
Cecil County – On Saturday, Nov. 22, at 9 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Darren L. Short, 42, of Perryville with multiple hunting violations on private property off of Iron Hill Road near Elkton. NRP responded to the area after receiving a report from the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office of possible illegal hunting activity.
NRP charged Short with hunting deer with a firearm during closed season, hunting on private property without written permission and failure to obtain a hunting license, after locating a recently killed three-point white-tailed buck hanging from a tree. NRP seized as evidence a 12-guage shotgun and the deer.
Cecil County – On Saturday, Nov. 22, at 9:36 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Timothy W. Lucky, 35, of Elkton with exceeding the daily bag limit of Canada geese on private property off of Bohemia Church Road near Cecilton.
NRP charged Lucky after observing him in possession of eight untagged geese. The daily bag limit for Canada geese is two geese per person per day. During the incident, NRP seized as evidence, six Canada geese. A court date of Jan. 10, 2009 has been scheduled for Lucky in Cecil County District Court.
Dorchester County – On Friday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police investigated a boating accident on the Transquaking River near the Decoursey Bridge.
Warren David Joseph Smith Jr., 43, of Hurlock was operating a 14-foot jon boat with two passengers and a dog onboard when the vessel capsized, sending all into the river. The vessel reportedly capsized due to the dog moving around in the vessel. Although the vessel was equipped with life jackets, none of the individuals were wearing them at the time of the accident.
The three men held onto the vessel for about an hour before they were seen by a passing motorist who called 911. One of the passengers, Robert T. Remato, 59, of Cambridge was transported to Dorchester General Hospital where he was treated and released for non-life threatening injuries.
Dorchester County Fire and EMS and Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office assisted the NRP with the incident.
Dorchester County – The Maryland Natural Resources Police continue to investigate the death of a Hurlock man.
On Friday, Nov. 21, at 7:54 p.m., NRP received a report of an overdue hunter on Chesapeake Forest Lands in the area of Route 392 and North Tara Road near Federalsburg. Chadwick Buford Pierce, 52, of Hurlock had gone hunting earlier Friday morning and had not returned home.
The search efforts ceased at 10:36 p.m. when NRP K-9 “Dock” and his handler located Pierce’s body at the bottom of a tree along with a portable tree stand. There was no indication that Pierce had fallen from the stand.
Pierce’s body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy. The preliminary autopsy report is indicating cause of death to be related to a medical condition.
Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office K-9, Somerset County Sheriff’s Office K-9 and volunteer fire companies from Dorchester and Caroline Counties assisted NRP with the incident.
Garrett County – On Monday, Nov. 17, at 2:20 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Calvin R. Schrock, 46, of McHenry with multiple hunting violations along Oakland Sang Run Road near Oakland.
NRP responded to the area after receiving a report from a concerned citizen, of Schrock operating an all terrain vehicle (ATV) on private property without permission. Schrock was observed allegedly shooting a deer.
NRP charged Schrock with hunting deer with a firearm during closed season, hunting on private property without written permission and failure of hunter to wear safety orange.
Garrett County – On Saturday, Nov. 22, at 2:30 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged three Garrett County men with multiple hunting violations in the area of White Rock Road and Trap Run Road near Friendsville.
NRP initiated a traffic stop on Timothy C. Sisler, 39, of Friendsville for allegedly driving into a field and shining the headlights and a spot light across the field. During the course of the stop, NRP located and seized as evidence one loaded .30-30 caliber rifle, .30-30 caliber ammunition and a hand held spot light.
Timothy Sisler and his two passengers, Dustin C. Sisler, 19, of Friendsville and James A. Savage, 19, of Oakland were each charged with casting rays of artificial light on fields or woodland while having a weapon in possession capable of killing deer; hunting deer at nighttime; hunting deer with a firearm during closed season; hunting from a vehicle; and loaded weapon in a vehicle. Dustin Sisler was also charged with three additional counts of hunting/possessing deer with a firearm during closed season.
Harford County – On Saturday, Nov. 22, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Anthony Ray Revels 35, of Darlington with multiple hunting violations in Palmer State Park near Poplar Grove.
The incident started at 8:24 a.m. when NRP received a report of trespassing in the area of Conowingo Road and Priestford Road. Officers searched the general area and expanded their search area to Palmer State Park. After an extensive search, Revels was located in the park and detained by NRP at 2 p.m.
During the incident, officers seized as evidence, a mountain bike, a portable tree stand, a back pack with hunting gear, a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition and two 12-point buck white-tailed deer heads. NRP K-9 “Dock” and his handler were utilized to search and recover two headless deer carcasses.
Revels was charged with six counts of removing head or hide or any part of a deer before check in; hunting deer with a firearm during closed season; hunting without written permission; hunting where not permitted in a state park; and possession of a weapon in a state park. A February 2009 court date has been scheduled for Revels in Harford County District Court.
Montgomery County – On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Jeffery T. Smith, 44, of Mitchells, Va. was found guilty in Montgomery County District Court of operating a tree expert business without a license. Smith is the owner of Cedar Mountain Tree and Landscaping in Mitchells, Va.
Smith was charged with operating a tree expert business without a license and advertising or soliciting an unlicensed tree business on Sept. 14 after NRP investigated a complaint from a concerned citizen. Smith was charged as a second time offender. He was sentenced to pay a $500 fine and one year probation.
The investigation started when the Maryland Forest Service received a written complaint against Cedar Mountain Tree and Landscaping of Mitchells, Va. The complainant paid $2,400 to Cedar Mountain Tree and Landscaping. The contract was signed by a James T. Baumgardner, who also requested that the check be made out to him.
Two months after payment in full, the work was not yet completed. The complainant’s attempts to reach Baumgardner and to locate an address for Cedar Mountain Tree and Landscaping were unsuccessful. The complainant called the number on the contract and spoke with Smith who referred the complainant back to Baumgardner. Smith would not admit to any connection with the job and stated that Baumgardner utilized a Cedar Mountain Tree and Landscaping contract but had no connection with the company.
This method of contracting a job is identical to the previous case involving Smith on April 4, of which he was found guilty. NRP charged Smith with operating a tree expert business without a license, along with Stephen W. Jenkins, 24, of Culpepper, Va., with operating a tree expert business without a license and advertising or soliciting an unlicensed tree business and Heather M. Payne, 24, of Remington, Va. with advertising or soliciting an unlicensed tree business.
Somerset County – On Thursday, Nov. 20, Everett Lee Bozman, 53, of Princess Anne, Billy Gene Smith, 56, of Ewell and Robert Lee Marshall, 71, of Crisfield were found guilty in Somerset County District Court of removal of oysters from an oyster sanctuary within 150 feet of boundary.
All three men were each charged with one count of removal of oysters from an oyster sanctuary within 150 feet and one count of removal of oysters from an oyster sanctuary beyond 150 feet on March 24, after NRP observed them power dredging oysters from an oyster sanctuary in Tangier Sound near Janes Island State Park.
An oyster sanctuary is an area where the Department may prohibit or restrict the catching of oysters on natural oyster bars whenever, in its judgment, these measures will increase the productivity or utility of these areas.
All three men received probation before judgment. Probation before judgment or PBJ is when the defendant is found guilty or pleads guilty however; the final entry of judgment is technically suspended. Each man received 90 days of unsupervised probation and fined $100 plus $22.50 court costs.
Worcester County – On Thursday, Nov. 20, at 4:15 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged Bryan K. Lowery, 47, of Tilghman with possession of conch less than 6-inches in length at West Ocean City Commercial Harbor.
NRP boarded and checked Lowery’s commercial vessel, Miss Winnie IV, after observing the vessel fishing conch pots earlier. Officers found over 100 undersized conchs onboard. A court date of Jan. 16, 2009 has been scheduled for Lowery in Worcester County District Court.
November 24, 2008 Contact: Sgt. Ken Turner
410-260-8003 office
kturner@dnr.state.md.usThe Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) 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 is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 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 12 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