It’s called poaching when outlaw watermen rob from the Chesapeake Bay what has been called ‘white gold’ for the last one-hundred and fifty years.
Meet Piggy: James Horseman nabbed with 152 bushels of undersized oysters poached from Bay
CAMBRIDGE, MD. — Once again an oyster outlaw waterman has struck and been
allegedly nabbed with a meal that is too small for legal catching. It’s called poaching when outlaw watermen rob from the Chesapeake Bay what has been called ‘white gold’ for the last one-hundred and fifty years.
The riches from the bottom of the Bay belong to the citizens and are managed, regulated and tightly monitored. Most watermen understand that the rules are intended to preserve and enhance the resource. Some do not, and that is why this series of news stories about the capture of outlaw watermen and coverage of what happens to them when they face the 15 States Attorneys who are responsible for enforcing the law. Many of the prosecutors let the outlaws off with either no fine or very small fines. Maryland legislators put little teeth into the laws. Few go to jail; few lose their commercial licenses. The hard-working watermen who make up the majority of the industry, suffer the consequences of the outlaws who literally get away with robbing the bank.
According to Natural Resources Police, a Dorchester County waterman, twice convicted of poaching oysters, was charged Friday, Feb. 28, 2016 with 146 counts of harvesting undersized oysters by the Maryland Natural Resources Police.
James Alexander Horseman, 26, of Madison, is scheduled for trial in Dorchester County District Court on April 4. If found guilty, he faces a maximum fine of $146,000.
Horseman was intercepted by officers Feb. 9 as he navigated his skipjack into Tedious Creek in Toddville to dock.
When officers checked the first of 152 bushels aboard the vessel and found them to be undersized, additional officers were called to the scene to measure the entire catch. The bushels ranged from 8 percent to 30 percent under the state minimum size of 3 inches.
All of the undersized oysters were seized and returned to state waters.
The Dorchester County State’s Attorney reviewed the investigation and prepared the charges against Horseman. Additional charges are pending.
Horseman was found guilty in Dorchester District Court of harvesting undersized oysters in 2013 and 2015.
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
- It’s called poaching when outlaw watermen rob from the Chesapeake Bay what has been called ‘white gold’ for the last one-hundred and fifty years.
