Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter

Queen Anne’s County – On January 5, 2011 at 11:30 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Daniel Leroy Dierker, 32 of Rock Hall, Md. with engaging in the striped bass gill net fisheries while his commercial license was suspended. Dierker was operating a commercial fishing vessel that was gill netting for striped bass in the area of Love Point in the Chesapeake Bay. Dierker’s commercial license is suspended until January 18, 2012. Under this suspension, Dierker is prohibited from engaging in the commercial harvest of finfish. A trial is set for March 2, 2011 in the District Court of Maryland for Queen Anne’s County.

Dorchester County – On January 4, 2011, NRP investigated a fatal boating accident that occurred at 9:30 a.m. at the mouth of Goose Creek, Fishing Bay. Samuel Edwin Todd, 69 of Crocheron, Md. died when he was knocked over board into the water by a dredge while he was dredging for oysters. The sole passenger on the vessel, Melecio Hernandez Granados, 28 of Woolford, Md. was unable to operate the commercial fishing vessel and tried unsuccessfully to call for help on the marine band radio. Granados was able to signal a nearby vessel which responded and retrieved Todd from the water. Todd was in the water for 10 -15 minutes and the water temperature was 39 degrees. This incident is Maryland’s first fatal boating accident of the year.

Dorchester County – On January 3, 2011, NRP charged Charles Bradford, 47 of East New Market, Md. with first degree assault, second degree assault, reckless endangerment, use of a handgun in commission of a felony, and false imprisonment.  Bradford was charged as a result of an incident that occurred on December 22, 2010 at 3:30 p.m. in the 5600 block of Thompsontown Rd in East New Market when officers responded to a hunter that was being held at gun point. The investigation revealed that Bradford approached a hunter who was trying to retrieve his hunting dog from property that was adjacent to Bradford’s residence. Bradford discharged a 40 caliber handgun and then allegedly held the hunter at gunpoint until officers from the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and NRP arrived. Bradford was committed to the Dorchester County Detention Center on $50,000 bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for January 26, 2011 in District Court.

Cecil County – On December 31, 2010, NRP responded to Back Creek off the Sassafras River after receiving a 911 call stating that 2 duck hunters had fallen through the ice. Officers could see the victims in the water approximately 500 yards from shore, and got to within 100 yards of the victims by accessing the area on a point in Knights Island Preserve. The victims were able to make it to shore under their own power at the direction of NRP. Jeffery Lynn Marker, 41, of Walkersville, Md. was treated and released at the scene. His son was airlifted to safety by Maryland State Police aviation and flown to John Hopkins for further treatment. Christopher Markoe was hunting with the two victims and was able to call 911.

Allegany County – On December 28, 2010, Michael Frederick Porter, 24 of Mt. Savage, Md. and Douglas William Kiser, 27 of Cumberland pled guilty in District Court to importing an illegally killed deer into Maryland. They were given a $1500 fine with $1000 suspended, 24 months of unsupervised probation, their hunting licenses were suspended for five years and the .17 caliber HMR rifle was forfeited to the state. Porter and Kiser pled guilty to killing a deer with a spotlight and rifle on October 2, 2010 at 11:00 p.m. in Bedford County, Pa., then transporting it into Maryland.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 247 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