Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter

Worcester County – The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged two West Ocean City men with theft, after a month long investigation found the two suspects were selling stolen fishing equipment out of a backpack on the Harry Kelly (Rt. 50) bridge.

During a routine patrol check, officers noticed two individuals selling fishing equipment on the bridge. After further investigation, NRP found the fishing equipment was reported stolen from a vehicle parked at the Sunset Marina and a 45’ sport fishing boat docked at Fisherman’s Marina in West Ocean City around October 3, 2009.

Clayton James Entwistle, 19 of Berlin, Md. is currently being held in the Worcester County Detention Center and awaiting trial in Worcester County for first degree burglary, fourth degree burglary, theft over $1000 and theft $100 to $1000.

NRP and the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation are still looking for Chad Michael Shipley, 19 of Berlin, Md., who has been charged with fourth degree burglary and theft over $1000, as well as charges relating to other thefts in the area.

The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation assisted with the investigation.

Montgomery County –The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Kevin Michael Neale of Boyds, Md. with poaching violations, November 9, 2009, after officers found a whitetail deer illegally shot and killed with a handgun hanging on the Neale’s property. Complaints of illegal poaching in the area spawned the investigation.

Neale was charged with hunting deer during a closed season and using a handgun in a county limited to shotgun only.

Montgomery County – After a joint investigation, The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) and National Park Service (NPS) arrested Edwin A. Leiva-Mednez, 32 of Gaithersburg, Md. for multiple poaching violations. NRP and NPS officers stopped Leiva-Medez’s vehicle November 7, 2009 at 6:18 p.m for suspected illegal activity on the C&O Canal National Park, near Edwards Ferry.

Leiva-Medez is being charged with taking wildlife in a National Park, possessing a weapon in a National Park, possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle, possession of whitetail deer out of season, using a rifle in a county restricted to shotgun only and failure to field tag a deer before removing it from place of kill. Leiva-Mendez was also charged with transporting a handgun in a vehicle.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 249 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), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 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