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Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter
Harford County – On Wednesday, February 18, Anthony Ray Revels 35, of Darlington pleaded guilty in Harford County District Court to multiple illegal hunting charges that were filed by the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) in November of 2008.
The incident started on Saturday, Nov. 22 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 at 2 p.m. in the park and detained by NRP. He 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.
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 received $600 in fines plus court costs; 24 months of unsupervised probation; ordered not to hunt in or near Maryland State parks and his 12-guage shotgun was forfeited to state.
Harford County – On Sunday, February 22, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged a Havre de Grace man on multiple traffic-related offenses after a brief vehicle pursuit on Lapidum Road near Susquehanna State Park.
At about 5 p.m., an NRP officer traveling south on Lapidum Road observed an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) operating at a high rate of speed, traveling north on Lapidum Road. The officer turned his vehicle around, activated his emergency equipment and attempted to stop the ATV. The driver identified as Shane Edward Stallard, 35, of Havre de Grace refused to stop. The officer radioed two other NRP officers that were in the area of Susquehanna State Park and Shane was stopped before he entered park property.
Shane was charged with operating and off-road vehicle on public roadway; speed greater than reasonable; operating an uninsured motor vehicle; operating unregistered motor vehicle; and attempt to elude police by failing to stop.
Kent County – On Friday, February 20, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged two Rock Hall men with striped bass commercial fishing violations in the Chesapeake Bay near Rock Hall. The charges are the result of an investigation that started in mid January of this year.
John F. Riggs, 42, and Stephen L. Tyer, 27, both of Rock Hall were each charged with four counts of improperly marking gill nets when fishing for striped bass; four counts of unlawful use of anchored gill net; four counts of unattended gill nets and two counts of fishing for striped bass with gill net during restricted time. Riggs was also charged with three counts of possession of fish whose size or weight cannot be determined and one count of possession of striped bass in excess of 36 inches total length.
The two men were allegedly fishing several illegally set gill nets in the area of Swan Point and Hodges Bar in the Chesapeake Bay on Jan. 12. Officers boarded the men’s vessel and located three striped bass whose tails had been altered to make the fish appear to be smaller in length and one striped bass in excess of 36 inches total length. A court date of March 26 has been scheduled for the individuals in Kent County District Court.
A gill net is a net used for the commercial harvest of fish. The net is maintained in a vertical position in the water with sinkers or floats. The net captures fish by means of a mesh too small to permit passage of the body of the fish or withdrawal of the head once the posterior margin of the gill covers has passed through the mesh.
A drift gill net is a net not secured to or anchored to the bottom, including a net rigged with up to 20 pounds of weight at each end. These nets must be attended by the licensee in a boat within two miles of the net while it is in waters of the Chesapeake Bay, or within one mile when the net is in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, its coastal bays and their tributaries, or a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. A drift gill net may not be set before 3 a.m. and shall be retrieved and in the boat by 6 p.m.
An anchor gill net is a net that is stationary in the water and secured to the bottom by conventional anchors or heavy weights.
Kent County – On Monday, February 23, the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged a Rock Hall man with striped bass commercial fishing violations at the mouth of the Chester River. The charges are the result of an investigation that started Feb. 10.
Daniel L. Dierker, 30, of Rock Hall was charged with failure to have commercial tidal fish license in possession; failure to have allocation permit in possession; failure to tag striped bass prior to landing; failure to have commercial tidal fish license transfer paperwork in possession; five counts of possession of striped bass in excess of 36 inches total length; possession of fish whose size or weight cannot be determined; fail to check in striped bass as required; willfully acting in a manner that disturbed the public peace; and fail to obey a reasonable and lawful order made by a law enforcement officer to prevent disturbance of the public peace.
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, NRP observed Dierker allegedly setting several illegal anchored gill nets at the mouth of the river. Surveillance was maintained on Dierker’s vessel as it returned to the Rock Hall Harbor; however he and his crew were able to exit the vessel and hide before officers approached.
NRP maintained surveillance on the vessel and on Wednesday, Feb.11, Dierker was observed going to his vessel and retrieving striped bass. Officers met Dieker at a local seafood dealer in Rock Hall where he was attempting to sell the striped bass. Through their investigation, officers located striped bass whose tails had been altered to make the fish appear to be smaller in length and five striped bass in excess of 36 inches total length. A court date of April 30 has been scheduled for Dierker in Kent County District Court.
NRP also charged Dierker with unlawful use of anchored gill net in the Chester River near Piney Point in Queen Anne’s County. This charge is connected to an incident that occurred on Dec. 18, 2008. A court date of April 29 has been scheduled for Dierker in Queen Anne’s County District Court.
NRP had charged Dierker along with William M. Ashley III, 30, and Anthony Vandewal, 42, all of Rock Hall on Jan. 11 of this year for fishing for striped bass with gill net during restricted time; unlawful use of anchored gill net; improperly marking gill nets and unattended gill nets in the Chester River near Piney Point in Kent County.
The three men were allegedly fishing gill nets during the pre-dawn hours of Dec. 18 when NRP boarded their vessel. Dierker was also charged with failure to obey a lawful order of a police officer and littering upon the waters of the State after he cut a line attached to an anchor at the end of one of the nets. NRP seized as evidence one box of stretched mesh gill net, five anchors, one drag bar and 385 pounds of striped bass. A court date of March 26 has been scheduled for the individuals in Kent County District Court.
Worcester County – On Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12:30 p.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police charged a Severn man with drug charges in Assateague State Park.
A National Park Ranger assigned to the Assateague Island National Seashore initiated a traffic stop on Ronald L. Arnold Jr., 43, of Severn for allegedly obstructing traffic along Bayberry Drive. The ranger called NRP to the scene for back-up after observing Arnold and his passenger consuming alcoholic beverages.
During the course of the stop, NRP charged Arnold with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), marijuana, and possession of CDS paraphernalia. Arnold was also charged by the National Park Ranger with possession of an open container of alcoholic beverage.
February 25, 20099 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