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Thread: They GOT what's coming to them!

  1. #1
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    Default They GOT what's coming to them!


    some stupid bass poachers ended up losing the trial and now:

    Out-of-State Lake Erie Bass Poachers Pay More Than $16,000
    Poachers forfeited two freezers and three bass boats and trailers

    SANDUSKY, OH – Three Tennessee men and three Georgia men appeared in Ottawa County Municipal Court in Port Clinton Wednesday for sentencing for taking 141 more than the legal limit of smallmouth bass on Lake Erie last April, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

    “The Western Basin of Lake Erie remains a prime location for anglers from around the country, and wildlife officers are working hard to keep it that way,” said Gino Barna, supervisor of the Division of Wildlife’s Lake Erie Law Enforcement Unit. “The 1-800-POACHER hotline is an important source of information for protecting this valuable natural resource.”

    The six men pled guilty to 30 charges on May 3, 2010, and Magistrate Lou Wargo ordered a pre-sentence investigation. The six fishermen appeared in Ottawa County Municipal Court on June 2, 2010 for sentencing. Magistrate Wargo ordered them to pay a combined total of $16,290 in fines, court costs and restitution.

    The restitution included $50 for each fish taken illegally in accordance with legislation that places a value on wild animals unlawfully held, taken, bought, sold or possessed. The men were also ordered to forfeit three bass boats, three trailers and two freezers, which have an estimated value of $32,000. Including the forfeited items, the total cost for the six men was $48,290.

    A total of 900 days in jail was handed down between all six men. Magistrate Wargo suspended the jail time pending completion of a probationary period of three years of good behavior. Their fishing licenses were revoked for three years and they will be entered into the Wildlife Violator’s Compact and most likely will lose privileges in 33 other states.

    During a surveillance project by Division of Wildlife investigators in the Bass Islands area of Lake Erie between April 25 and April 30, investigators observed the men “double and triple tripping.” (“Double and triple tripping” refers to catching a limit of fish, returning to shore, then returning to the water the same day to catch an additional limit of fish.) The legal limit for smallmouth bass on Lake Erie is five fish per day from the last Saturday in June through April 30 with a minimum size limit of 14 inches.

    Individual sentencing included:
    Freelan C. Leffew, 66, of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee – $1,500 in fines, $348 for court costs, three years license revocation, $1,300 in restitution, and forfeiture of a bass boat, a trailer and a freezer.

    Freddie Warren, 63, of Wildwood, Georgia – $1,250 in fines, $290 for court costs, three years license revocation, $1,250 in restitution, and forfeiture of a bass boat and trailer.

    Charles H. Burkhart, 67, of Ringgold, Georgia – $1,250 in fines, $290 for court costs, three years license revocation, $1,250 in restitution, and forfeiture of a freezer.

    Samuel J. Carroll, 65, of Ringgold, Georgia – $1,000 in fines, $232 for court costs, three years license revocation, $1,000 in restitution, and forfeiture of a bass boat and trailer.

    Herbert S. Stephens, 58, of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee – $1,000 in fines, $232 for court costs, three years license revocation, and $1,000 in restitution.

    Michael T. Leffew, 38, of Hixon, Tennessee – $1,500 in fines, $348 for court costs, three years license revocation, and $1,250 in restitution.

    try poaching now suckas!!

  2. #2
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    Good for the Division of Wildlife!

  3. #3
    frank lawhead's Avatar
    frank lawhead is offline RIP Frank - Crystal is now posting on his behalf.
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    Glad to see that some one got what more poachers should get
    PROUD MEMBER OF TEAM GEEZER

  4. #4
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    The wildlife officer here told me a funny story the other day about a man flounder fishing while standing in the water waste deep. He said he pulled up to the man and asked to see his fish at which point the man produced a stringer of flounder tied to his belt loop. All of the fish were legal and he bid the guy a good day. The he says as he pulled away the motor on his patrol boat stirred up the water a bit and a second stringer appeared for a second. He returned and asked the guy to step out of the water at which time he saw that a second stringer of undersized flounder were tied to his ankle. He would have gotten away with it had it not been for the keen officer paying attention. I am blessed with an awesome game warden here where I fish. He knows everyone's name by heart and knows what everyone does for a living (fishing wise). Hope he sticks around for a while. A lot of those guys have chips on their shoulders.....Especially the younger ones.
    Commercial fishermen help feed the world.

  5. #5
    kycreek's Avatar
    kycreek is offline Crappie.com Legend * Crappie.com Supporter
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    I agree they got what was coming to them.

  6. #6
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    Here in Nebraska they probably would have helped them carry the illegal fish to their vehicles. Nebraska is one of the worst States for letting poacher get by with small fines and restitution for poaching. There is no resprocity between the surrounding state. If a nebraska person gets caught poaching in the surrounding states. They really come down hard on them, and they get the maximum sentence and fines, because Nebraska won't. EB
    DO-GOODER EXTRADINAR :p

  7. #7
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    WV is a state that joins a few others that if you lose your privaledges in 1 state thats in this group you lose them here, and in the other groups...Trout here is the most poached or over limit fish. Daily limit is 4 in streams and 6 in lakes.

  8. #8
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    Sounds like they should have just electrocuted them and got them outta
    the gene pool...

    I'd like to go CATCH some of them smallmouth (and throw 'em back) just for
    the pull and to watch 'em jump -
    but taking risk to illegally
    keep them??? to eat I guess? If these dudes were really from TN and GA
    they ought to know better than eating bass :rolleyes:
    Shoals Area Crappie Association

  9. #9
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    Wouldn't you think that if they were traveling with freezers, this wasn't their first time doing this? I'd wager they've been doing this for years and have just now got caught... and they're probably selling the fish back in their home states.

    I think they should've had to serve the jail time too.

  10. #10
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    Wow! Bet those clowns think twice before they ever do that again. May have turned a few of them away from fishing completely. Wonder what the boats will fetch at Auction? Also, wonder if they gave the illegal catch to a food bank or something.
    Reaper, Where Fish come to Fry

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