EASTON, MD. --- There are so many Maryland watermen raiding the oyster sanctuaries that the Maryland Natural Resources Police might have to bring in a barge with a portable jail cell on it to contain them as they run around the Bay picking them up when they are caught. The problem with that is that the Maryland General Assembly doesn’t include jail time for serial poachers.
Cops: Pirate Poacher Gang of Eight Raided Oyster Sanctuary
EASTON, MD. — There are so many Maryland watermen raiding the oyster sanctuaries that the Maryland Natural Resources Police might have to bring in a barge with a portable jail cell on it to contain them as they run around the Bay picking them up when they are caught. The problem with that is that the Maryland General Assembly doesn’t include jail time for serial poachers.
Somerset County States Attorney Daniel Powell has called for jail time for repeat offenders of poaching laws but the powerful Watermen’s Association has its tentacles firmly wrapped around the Eastern Shore lawmakers and Republicans close to Governor Hogan. Unless the public calls on lawmakers to put teeth in the poaching laws by including jail time, it won’t happen. Jail time will likely never be added to penalties, or revocation and suspension of commercial fishing licenses, as takes placed in Virginia. On rare occasions, a waterman has been banned for life from commercial fishing, as in the case of J. P. Nelson of St. Mary’s County.
Natural Resources Police reports that eight watermen are due in Talbot District Court on March 17, 2016, on charges that they raided an oyster sanctuary.
Charged with poaching oysters from a sanctuary were: William E. Gannon Jr., 61, of Cambridge; David Lewis Jones Jr., 47, of Nanticoke; Jason Christopher Lewis, 38, of Mardela Springs; Marvin Daniel Richardson, 58, of Toddville; Robert Jeffrey Robinson Sr., 51, of Crapo; Harold Mark Wanex, 58, of Beulah; and William H. Winsor Jr., 56, of Woolford.
Officers conducting surveillance on the Howell Point Sanctuary on the Choptank River on Jan. 12 saw the men on four commercial boats hand tonging for oysters.
If found guilty of the charge, each man faces a maximum fine of $3,000 and a possible license suspension.
Gannon, of 5727 Ross Neck Road in Cambridge, Md., was cited by NRP Officer A. Wilson on Jan. 31, 2016 with harvesting oysters within an oyster sanctuary on Jan. 12, 2016.
Jones, of 20496 Nanticoke Road, Nanticoke, Md., was cited by NRP Officer Cheezum on Feb. 2, 2016, for raiding oyster sanctuary on Jan. 12, 2016. He will appear in court on March 17, 2016, in Talbot County where States Attorney Scott Patterson is one of the most lenient prosecutors in Maryland when it comes to dealing with pirate poachers.
Jones was cited on May 24, 2013, by NRP Officer Brimer for oystering during the closed season. And raiding an oyster sanctuary. Wicomico County States Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello dropped both charges on Nov. 5, 2013, with no fine and no time. Jones didn’t even need to hire an attorney to arrange this favorable outcome for him. The prosecutor’s job is to serve the cause of justice and is the attorney for the people of Maryland.
Jones was charged with driving while intoxicated on two counts by a Maryland State Trooper on Feb. 3, 2008, while driving on Texas Road at Bivalve Lodge Rd., at 1:14 am. The DUI contributed to an accident, according to court records. Wicomico County States Attorney Davis Ruark dropped the charges on July 2, 2008, shortly after the prosecutor was found guilty of driving drunk with a loaded handgun in Ocean City. Jones was represented by attorney Charles Jannace III to convince the boozing and cruising prosecutor to drop the charge.
Showing that pirate poachers of the Bay are generational in poaching, Jones’s daddy – David Lewis Jones was found guilty of possession of undersized crabs on Sept. 22, 2003, in Wicomico County District Court. As often is the case for the corrupt system of laws affecting the Chesapeake Bay which is administered by conflicted District Court Judges and feckless States Attorneys, the fine for Jones keeping undersized crabs was ZERO.
Jason Christopher Lewis, of 8171 Baptist Church Road, Mardela Springs, Md., was charged for the Jan. 12, 2016 raid by pirate poachers of the oyster sanctuary.
Jason Christopher Lewis was cited by NRP Officer H. Brohawn on April 27, 2011, with possession of undersized oysters. In a plea deal with the Dorchester County States Attorney on April 27, 2011 in Dorchester County District Court, Lewis entered a guilty plea, was fined $177.50 and put on unsupervised probation for one year, meaning that if he had raided any oyster sanctuaries or kept bushels full of undersized crabs he would have been doing so out of the sight of his probation officer.
Jason Christopher Lewis was cited by NRP Officer M. McCall for using the license of another while his commercial license was suspended and in Wicomico County District Court on May 10, 2001, his attorney, Thomas Maloney, was able to cook up a plea deal with the Wicomico States Attorney where he entered a guilty plea and was fined $1,000.
Jason Christopher Lewis was charged by NRP Officer Mark A. Wright with hunting without a license on Sept. 17, 1999, and in District Court in Wicomico County on Dec. 10, 1999, a plea bargain netted him a fine of $100.00.
Jason Lewis Christopher was charged with poaching deer at night on Oct. 4, 1997, by NRP Officer George T. Williams and in Wicomico County District Court, Wicomico County States Attorney Davis Ruark dropped the charge with no fine and no time on Jan. 29, 1998. Attorney James V. Anthenelli represented Lewis in arranging to have the charge dropped. A second charge of spotlighting while poaching deer at night resulted in a plea bargain with only unsupervised probation for one year, meaning that no probation officer will be forced to supervise Lewis in other night-time poaching incidents. ZERO FINE as agreed to by the Wicomico County States Attorney.
Marvin Daniel Richardson, of 2531 Toddville Rd., Toddville, Md., was charged with raiding the oyster sanctuary on Jan. 12, 2016 by NRP Officer A. Wilson.
Richardson was charged with driving an uninsured vehicle on Aug. 17, 1997, by Hurlock Police and in District Court on April 30, 2013, the Dorchester County States Attorney dropped the charge.
Richardson was charged in Dorchester County District Court with multiple counts of assault with intent to murder. The charges were put on the Stet Docket by the Dorchester States Attorney.
Robert Jeffrey Robinson, of 3249 Robbins Road in Crapo, Md., was cited on June 9, 2008, by NRP Officer R. Bowman with possession of undersized hard crabs. In District Court on Aug. 18, 2008, Dorchester County States Attorney engaged in a plea deal with the waterman in which Robinson pleaded guilty and was given no time and no fine.
Another Hurlock pirate poacher is Harold Mark Wanex, of 4236 Beulah Road, in Hurlock, Md. Wanex was charged with raiding oysters and with the rest of the pirate poacher gang will face the timid and lenient Talbot County States Attorney Scott Patterson, who will likely apologize to them for the cops interfering with their gang activities in the sanctuary.
Wanex was cited on Oct. 29, 1999, by NRP Officer Karen Haddaway with possession of unculled oysters. In Talbot County District Court on Jan. 19, 2000, Wanex entered into a plea bargain which resulted in a $70.00 fine.
Wanex was cited on Oct. 19, 1999, with possession of undersized oysters by NRP Officer Charles G. Bridges, Wanex got a plea deal from the Talbot County States Attorney on Dec. 16, 1999, and a fine of $70.00.
Wanex was charged with possession of undersized oysters on Oct. 9, 1998, and in a plea deal was fined $150.00 in Talbot County by the Talbot States Attorney.
Wanex was charged on October 1, 1997, with possession of undersized oysters. On Nov. 13, 1997, a plea deal with the Dorchester County States Attorney resulted in a verdict of guilty and NO FINE AND NO TIME.
Wanex was charged with an unattended drift gill net on Jan. 31, 1992. In Talbot County District Court, he was found guilty and fined $100.00 on Feb. 14, 1992.
TELL THE PROSECUTORS WHAT YOU THINK
ABOUT PIRATE POACHERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE
The following is contact information for 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
- EASTON, MD. --- There are so many Maryland watermen raiding the oyster sanctuaries that the Maryland Natural Resources Police might have to bring in a barge with a portable jail cell on it to contain them as they run around the Bay picking them up when they are caught. The problem with that is that the Maryland General Assembly doesn’t include jail time for serial poachers.