The Piracy Continues; Two Crisfield Poaching Pirates Snared by NRP Officers

One accused pirate charged with poaching has been convicted of drug dealing in Baltimore County

CRISFIELD, MD. – Natural Resources Police report that the piracy and poaching of oyster sanctuaries in the Chesapeake Bay by the persons most likely to see a direct benefit of the effort to perpetrate oyster harvesting in the future continues.

Police say that two Crisfield watermen were charged Monday by the Maryland Natural Resources Police with illegally harvesting oysters from protected waters.

Using the Maritime Law Enforcement Information Network system of cameras and radar, two officers monitored Paul Franklin Tyler III, 29, and Jeffrey Alan Cuff Jr., 31, at 10 a.m. as they dredged for wild oysters in the buffer zone surrounding the Somerset Oyster Sanctuary near Tangier Sound.

Once Tyler, the vessel operator, saw the NRP officers, he quickly left the sanctuary buffer with the dredge still in the water. The officers stopped the vessel and saw 14 bushels of oysters on board.

The officers checked all four corner buoys marking the sanctuary boundaries to ensure that they were on station as defined in state regulation. The 14 bushels of oysters were returned to the waters of the state.

The two watermen are scheduled to appear in Somerset District Court on March 10. If found guilty, Tyler and Cuff each could be fined as much as $3,000 and have their tidal fish licenses suspended for six months up to a year.

Paul Franklin Tyler III, of 3271 Lawsonia Road, Crisfield, Md., was cited on Aug. 25, 2014 by NRP Officer Jim Beveridge with possession of undersized male hard crabs. Tyler entered a guilty plea on Dec. 9, 2014 in Somerset County District Court and was fined $177.50 and court costs of $22.50. No jail time was assessed.

Tyler was cited on March 20, 2014 with possession of unculled oysters 7% by NRP Officer Jeffrey Howard. On June 2, 2014 Tyler entered a guilty plea in Somerset County District Court and was fined $132.50 and court costs of $22.50.

Tyler was cited on March 20, 2014 by NRP Officer J. W. Bromley IV with possession of unculled oysters 20% and in Somerset County District Court he entered a guilty plea and was fined $427.50 plus court costs.  Two other citations for possession of unculled oysters of different percentages were dropped by States Attorney Dan Powell on June 10, 2014.

A criminal charge of trespassing against Tyler by NRP Officer Brimer on Feb. 14, 2014 was put on the Stet Docket on April 8, 2014 by Somerset County States Attorney Dan Powell. That charge can now be reinstated if Tyler is found guilty of the newest charges.

Cited on Jan. 10, 2014 by NRP Officer Jim Beveridge with failing to put oysters in approved containers. In Somerset County District Court on April 8, 2014, Tyler entered a guilty plea and was fined $477.50.

Cited by NRP Officer T. Brimer with possession of undersized rockfish on Dec. 13, 2010. Tyler entered a guilty plea in Somerset County District Court on Nov. 11, 2010 and was fined $327.50.

Cited by NRP Officer D. Tyler on Nov. 15, 2006 with possession of undersized striped bass. In Somerset District Court on Jan. 1, 2007, Somerset States Attorney Kristy Hickman dropped the charges.

Cited by NRP Officer D. Tyler on Nov. 15, 2006 with possession of over the limit of rockfish. In District Court on Jan. 11, 2007 Somerset County States Attorney Kristy Hickman dropped the charges.

Cited on Jan. 27, 2006 for hunting waterfowl with bait by NRP Officer Jeffrey Howard, Tyler entered into a plea deal with Somerset States Attorney Kristy Hickman on March 30, 2006 and entered a guilty plea. He was fined $500 and in the deal with Hickman, the $400 of the fine was suspended. Tyler was also fined $100 for an unplugged shotgun.

Jeffrey A. Cuff Jr., of 6399 Charles Cannon Road in Marion Station, Md., Somerset County, was charged in Baltimore County with distribution of drugs on Oct. 25, 2005. In a plea deal with the Baltimore County States Attorney Sandra A. O’Connor on April 10, 2006, Cuff pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute narcotics and was sentenced to two years in prison. Under the terms of the deal, the sentence – all of it – was suspended and he was put on probation for eighteen months. All other charges were dropped by States Attorney O’Conner. Cuff was represented by Baltimore attorney Bradley Goldbloom in arranging this very sweet plea deal. Plea arrangements which result in little or no time or fine are often arranged by the defendant snitching on competing drug dealers and suppliers.

The State of Maryland noted on a Facebook page the following assessment of the current 2014-15 oyster season: “While harvests are down, the reduced supply of oysters from the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in “dockside” oyster prices- the price that a waterman gets selling to a wholesale buyer- that are setting records. In October dockside bushel prices sometimes exceeded $50, nearly twice the average price in 2012-2013 ($27). If this holds the average dockside value of a bushel of oysters could be higher this season than at any time in Maryland’s history.”

TELL THE PROSECUTORS WHAT YOU THINK
ABOUT PIRATE POACHERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE

The following is contact information with email addresses for States Attorneys of the counties that surround the Chesapeake Bay and are often presented with citations and violations to prosecute for Maryland’s outlaw watermen. They are all elected officials and have complete and total control as to whether or not to prosecute Pirate Poachers of the Chesapeake or to dump the charges.  Be sure to contact any of these officials with your views on the matter.

SCOTT D. SHELLENBERGER, Baltimore County State’s Attorney (Democrat)

Email: statesattorney@baltimorecountymd.gov

State’s Attorney, Baltimore County, since January 2, 2007.

Prosecutor, Office of State’s Attorney, Baltimore County, 1982-93 (former chief, child abuse/sexual assault division).

EDWARD DORSEY ELLIS ROLLINS III, Cecil State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: cflaugher@ccgov.org

State’s Attorney, Cecil County, since January 3, 2011.

MATTHEW A. MACIARELLO, Wicomico County State’s Attorney (Republican),
e-mail: mmaciarello@wicomicocounty.org

State’s Attorney, Wicomico County, since January 3, 2011. Deputy State’s Attorney, Wicomico County, November 8, 2010, to January 3, 2011.

Scott Patterson, Talbot County States Attorney (Democrat): State’s Attorney, Talbot County, 1983-86, and since 1989. Assistant State’s Attorney, Montgomery County, 1972-75. Special Assistant to Attorney General, 1975. Assistant State’s Attorney, Anne Arundel County.

LANCE G. RICHARDSON, Queen Anne’s County State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: lrichardson@qac.org

State’s Attorney, Queen Anne’s County, since January 5, 2009. Assistant Public Defender, Queen Anne’s County, 1996-2003. Deputy State’s Attorney, Queen Anne’s County

HARRIS P. MURPHY, Kent County State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: hmurphy@kentgov.org, State’s Attorney, Kent County, since January 5, 2015.

Daniel Powell, Somerset County States Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: dpowell@co.somerset.md.us

State’s Attorney, Somerset County, since January 3, 2011.  Former Assistant State’s Attorney, Baltimore County. Former Assistant State’s Attorney, Dorchester County. Former Assistant State’s Attorney, Somerset County. County Administrator, Somerset County, 2007-09.

JONATHAN G. NEWELL, Caroline County State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: jnewell@carolinesao.org

State’s Attorney, Caroline County, since 2003.

Assistant Public Defender, Caroline County, 1999-2001. Deputy State’s Attorney, Kent County

BEAU H. OGLESBY, Worcester County State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: boglesby@co.worcester.md.us

State’s Attorney, Worcester County, since January 3, 2011.

Assistant State’s Attorney, Wicomico County, 1997-2007. Deputy State’s Attorney, Caroline County, 2009-10.

WILLIAM H. JONES Dorchester County States Attorney, (Democrat)

e-mail: wjones@docogonet.com

State’s Attorney, Dorchester County, since June 19, 2009. Assistant State’s Attorney, 2002-04. Senior Assistant State’s Attorney, 2004-07. Interim State’s Attorney, April 11, 2007 to June 19, 2009.

WES ADAMS, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: aacsao@aacounty.org

State’s Attorney, Anne Arundel County, since January 5, 2015.  Assistant State’s Attorney, Prince George’s County, 1998-2000. Assistant State’s Attorney, Baltimore City, 2000-08. Chief, Homicide Division, State’s Attorney’s Office, Prince George’s County, 2008-15 (assistant chief, 2008). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, 2006-07.

ANTHONY B. (TONY) COVINGTON, State’s Attorney (Democrat)

e-mail: covingtt@charlescounty.org

State’s Attorney, Charles County, since January 3, 2011. Deputy State’s Attorney, Charles County, 2008-.  Assistant State’s Attorney, Prince George’s County, 1991-93. Assistant State’s Attorney, Charles County, 1993-97.

LAURA L. MARTIN, Calvert County State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: martinll@co.cal.md.us

State’s Attorney, Calvert County, since January 2007.  Assistant State’s Attorney, Prince George’s County, 1989-98 (assistant chief, homicide division, 1994-98). Deputy State’s Attorney, Calvert County, September 1998 to December 2005.

RICHARD D. FRITZ, St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: richard.fritz@co.saint-marys.md.us

State’s Attorney, St. Mary’s County, since December 1998. Former Assistant State’s Attorney and Deputy State’s Attorney, St. Mary’s County.

JOSEPH I. CASSILLY, Harford County State’s Attorney (Republican)

e-mail: statty@harfordcountymd.gov

State’s Attorney, Harford County, since January 1983. Assistant State’s Attorney, Harford County, 1977-82