Pirate Poachers of the Chesapeake: Adam Antes busted again for raid on oyster sanctuary; Kevin Tarleton has decades of deception as he loots the Bay

OUTLAW WATERMEN

Poaching Pirate of the Chesapeake Adam Antes Continues to Flout the Law

NRP Charges Four Watermen with Oyster Violations; Adam Antes Busted Twice in a Month for Raiding Oyster Sanctuary

NANTICOKE, MD.  — Natural Resources Police report that four Eastern Shore watermen charged during January with state wildlife violations by Maryland Natural Resources Police officers. One of them was cited again for raiding a sanctuary on the heels of another raid just a week earlier.

A Nanticoke waterman received citations Jan. 20, 2015, for taking oysters from protected state waters for power dredging in the Nanticoke sanctuary in Wicomico County.

Two officers on patrol at 6:30 a.m. watched as Adam Rodney Antes, 32, entered the sanctuary on his boat, Kimberly Dawn, and began working an area more than 150 feet inside the boundary.

Antes is scheduled to appear in Wicomico District Court on April 7 on charges of unlawful harvesting and operating a vessel without proper running lights. If found guilty, he could be fined a maximum of $3,085.

On Jan. 16, two commercial hand tonging vessels were observed harvesting oysters from the Howell Point-Beacon Sanctuary at the mouth of La Trappe Creek, a Choptank River tributary in Talbot County.

Kevin Steven Tarleton, 45, of Tilghman, was charged with harvesting oysters in a sanctuary and possession of nine bushels of oysters over the daily hand tong limit.

Kevin Steven Tarleton Jr., 22, of Tilghman, was charged with harvesting oysters in a sanctuary and refusing to comply with a lawful order.

Daniel Paul Wilson, 20, also of Tilghman, was charged with harvesting oysters in a sanctuary.

Officers seized a total of 51 bushels of oysters and returned them to the sanctuary.

All three men are scheduled to appear in Talbot District Court on March 19. The maximum penalty for harvesting in a sanctuary is a $3,000 fine and a commercial license suspension for six months to one year.

• Record of Kevin Steven Tarleton
• Cited by NRP Officer Hunter on Dec. 2, 2014 for failing to tag bushels prior to leaving oyster bar.  In Talbot County District Court on Jan. 15, 2015, he entered a guilty plea in a deal with Talbot States attorney Scott Patterson in which he got off with a simple $150 fine.
• Cited on Jan. 21, 2014 for possession of nine bushels of oysters over the limit by NRP Officer Cheezum. The case is still pending in Talbot County District Court, according to court records.
• Cited by a Maryland State Trooper on June 20, 2013 for operating a motor vehicle while his license was revoked. In Talbot County District Court on Jan. 22, 2014, he was represented by Centreville attorney John Mark McDonald who arranged a plea deal with Talbot States Attorney Scott Patterson. Tarleton escaped any jail time and was ordered to pay a fine of $442.50. Court records show the fine is delinquent.
• Cited by NRP Officer R. Rafter on March 14, 2012 for possession of unculled and undersized oysters. Tarleton entered into a plea deal with Talbot County States Attorney Scott Patterson, and he pleaded guilty on May 17, 2012 in exchange for a $150.00 fine.
• Cited by Maryland State Police Cpl. S. Moore for operating a vehicle while his license was revoked on Dec. 8, 2008. On Aug. 19, 2009, in a plea deal with Talbot County States Attorney Scott Patterson, Tarleton, on one count, was fined zero dollars and sent to jail for ten days. Tarleton was represented by Denton attorney Dennis J. Farina.
• Cited on March 16, 2008 by NRP Officer Tracy Campbell for oystering after 3 pm for commercial use; Dredging in a hand tong area only. On July 24, 2008, he entered a not guilty plea in Talbot County District Court but was found guilty and fined $100.00 and court costs of $22.50.
• Cited by NRP Officer Tracy Campbell on Dec. 14, 2007 for possession of unculled oysters. In Feb. 21, 2008 he entered into a plea deal with Talbot County States Attorney Scott Patterson and was fined $132.50.
• Cited by NRP Officer for possession of undersized oysters on Nov. 15, 2007, he entered a not guilty plea in Talbot County District Court on Jan. 24, 2008 and was found guilty and fined $277.50.  Court records show that on June 12th an warrant was issued in connection with this action and on June 23, 2008 he was committed to jail and released the same day, perhaps for not having paid the fine. The fact that he was released could possibly indicate that he paid the fine.
• Cited by NRP Officer Tracy Campbell on June 24, 2007 for crabbing on a declared day off. In Talbot County District Court, Tarleton entered a guilty plea on Jan. 25, 2008 in exchange for a $202.50 fine.
• Cited by NRP Officer C. Klotz for taking oysters after hours on Jan. 24, 2007, Tarleton was found not guilty in Talbot County District Court on May 17, 2007.
• Charged by Talbot County Sheriff’s Deputy Quathamer with multiple counts of malicious property destruction, theft and tampering with an electric meter on March 22, 2005, Tarleton entered into plea deal on one count, with all others dropped with Talbot County States Attorney Scott Patterson and received no order of restitution or a fine. He was sentenced to ten days in jail, and all of the jail time was suspended in the deal.
• Charged for failure to pay child support and held in contempt for multiple times a bench warrant was issued after five years of attempts to collect child support and on May 23, 2012 a warrant for his arrest was recalled after payment was made.
• Charged on Oct. 11, 2004 in Talbot County District Court with 37 counts of failing to send a child to school he entered into a plea deal on May 11, 2005 and was sentenced to jail for ten days with all time suspended and no fine.
• Cited by  NRP Officer Guy Wells with possession of undersized crabs on Dec. 28, 2000, he entered a guilty plea in Talbot County District Court on March 2, 2001 and was fined $170.00.
• Cited by NRP Officer Wayne Engel on May 30, 1999 with operating a vessel without lights (the purpose of doing so is to evade detection as any captain has portable lights to use in case of a wiring failure). In Talbot County District Court on Oct. 27, 1999, he entered a guilty plea and was fined. $130.00.
• Cited by NRP Officer J. Buchanan on Jan. 6, 1999 with selling oysters without a license he entered a guilty plea in Talbot County District Court on May 21, 1999 and was fined $200.00.
• Cited on July 15, 1998 with placing crab pots in a restricted area, he was found guilty in Talbot County District Court on Jan. 7, 1999 and fined $180.00.
• Cited on Jan. 5, 1998 with possession of unculled oysters by NRP Officer Guy Wells. Tarleton entered a guilty plea on May 22, 1998. He was fined $50.00.
• Cited on July 28, 1992 by Baltimore Police Officer Ronald Cappadocia with possession of a rockfish during the moratorium on catching rockfish. Tarleton was fined $250.00 in District Court for Baltimore City on Oct. 6, 1992.

Kevin Tarleton Jr. has had several less serious criminal charges ranging from possession of marijuana to disorderly conduct and operating a vehicle while suspended.  In his last encounter with the law, he was put on probation on June 11, 2012 with a fine of $242.50 for disorderly conduct.

Prior to the Jan. 16, 2015 NRP citation, there were no other citations.

PRIOR RAID ON OYSTER SANCTUARY BY ADAM ANTES

Officers were on patrol in the Tangier Sound on Jan. 16, 2015, monitoring the radar capability of the Maritime Law Enforcement Information Network (MLEIN), when they noticed a vessel heading toward the Somerset Oyster Sanctuary. Due to heavy fog in the area, officers were able to position themselves near the sanctuary without being detected.

Once the officers observed the suspect vessel enter the sanctuary on MLEIN, they intercepted the vessel actively engaged in dredging for oysters. Officers then maneuvered alongside and boarded the vessel, operated by Adam Rodney Antes, 32, of Nanticoke.

Antes had two bushels of undersized oysters on board. Antes received two citations from NRP Officer Brimer for harvesting oysters from a sanctuary and two citations for harvesting undersized oysters. Both bushels of oysters were returned to the sanctuary.

Antes is scheduled to appear in Somerset District Court on March 10. If found guilty of all four charges, he faces a maximum penalty of $8,000.

The Citation and Criminal Record of Adam Antes

• In December, Antes was charged with overharvesting oysters in Wicomico County, a case that is scheduled to be tried on March 3. Last August, he was found guilty in Wicomico County for possessing undersized crabs and was found guilty last March in Somerset County for possessing unmeasured oysters.
• Adam Rodney Antes of 2605 Hickman Lane, Nanticoke, Md., was cited on Dec. 17, 2014 by NRP Officer J. McNamara for over the daily limits of oysters. Case will be held in Wicomico District Court on March 3, 2015.
• Ticketed for driving his vehicle on roadways without current registration plates/driving while his license was suspended by Maryland State Trooper K. Secrist of the Salisbury Barrack of the Maryland State Police. He entered a guilty plea on Aug. 1, 2014 and was fined $70.00.
• Cited on March 25, 2014 by Natural Resources Officer J. W Bromley IV for possession of unculled oysters. In Somerset County District Court on April 29, 2014, he entered a plea of guilty and was fined $132.50.
• Cited by NRP Officer for possession of undersized crabs on Aug. 19, 2013. In Wicomico County District Court, he was found guilty and fined $67.50.  Crabs were selling for over $100.00 a dozen retail in some locations at that time. This easy deal was the responsibility of Wicomico County States Attorney MATTHEW A. MACIARELLO, State’s Attorney (Republican).
• Arrested by Wicomico County Dfc. Jeffrey Heath for possession of paraphernalia and possession of drugs other than marijuana on Aug. 12, 2012, Antes entered a guilty plea to the drug charge on March 1, 2013 in Wicomico County District Court and was fined $500.00.  Antes was represented by attorney Michael J. Richardson of Nanticoke, Md.
• Charged with assault and disorderly conduct in Worcester County, Md., on Feb. 11, 2010 by Deputy Edward Newcomb.  Antes, represented by attorney Michael S. Rotwein of Ocean City, entered a guilty plea to disorderly conduct and was put on Probation Before Judgment on July 8, 2010 and fined $100.00.
• Arrested for possession of marijuana on Sept. 13, 2006 by Deputy James Rodriquez in Worcester County, Md., he entered a guilty plea in District Court on Nov. 11, 2006 and was fined $500.00.