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LDWF ENFORCEMENT AGENTS JOIN IN FARM SAFETY DAY FOR FIFTH-GRADERS
NIGHT HUNTER SENTENCED IN RED RIVER PARISH
L.D.W.F AGENTS NAB GAME FISH POACHERS
SHRIMP PEDDLER WHEELED TO JAIL
HIGHWAY TURKEY HUNTERS CAUGHT
LDWF ENFORCEMENT AGENTS JOIN IN FARM SAFETY DAY FOR FIFTH-GRADERS
Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)
Enforcement Division teamed up with other agencies and sponsors for two
separate Progressive Farmer Safety Day Camps for children on April 8 in
Caldwell Parish and April 22 in Franklin Parish.
The safety days featured safety stations that included boat and water,
seatbelt, ATV, firearms, electrical, bicycle and farm equipment safety.
Fire and 911 simulators were also available.
In addition to LDWF, the Franklin and Caldwell Sheriff's Offices, Louisiana
State Police, Winnsboro Fire Department, Northeast Louisiana Ambulance,
Northeast Louisiana Power, 4-H Club Extension Office and Winnsboro Equipment
were also on hand for the safety days.
The camps were hosted on school days for fifth-graders and corresponding
teachers in each parish. The two days gave 450 children the opportunity to
be educated on the importance of wearing Personal Flotation Devices along
with other safety topics.
Once at the camp, the children were split into groups of 20 and directed to
safety stations for instruction and demonstration. The groups spent 20
minutes at each station and rotated until they finished.
The sponsoring organizations provided goodie bags for all of the
participants. Lunch and refreshments were served to all of those in
attendance.
Agents participating in the Progressive Farmer Safety Day Camps were Sgt.
Russ Kiser and Senior Agent Scott Watson.
NIGHT HUNTER SENTENCED IN RED RIVER PARISH
A man illegally hunting deer in Red River Parish in December plead guilty to
all charges on March 13.
Daryl Reed Bass, 39 of Coushatta, was found night hunting on La. Highway 783
on Dec. 8, 2004 by Enforcement Division agents for the Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).
Judge Lewis Sams of the 39th Judicial District sentenced Bass for the
following crimes:
(1) for hunting or taking deer during illegal hours or with an artificial
light Bass received 120 days in the parish jail and a fine of $950.
(2) for hunting from a moving vehicle Bass got 90 days in the parish
jail and a fine of $500 plus $126 court costs.
(3) for hunting or taking deer from a public road Bass got 60 days in the
parish jail and a fine of $350 plus $126 plus court costs.
(4) for discharging a firearm from a public road Bass got 30 days in the
parish jail and a fine of $50.
Judge Sams suspended all jail sentences and Bass was placed on court
supervision for a period of one year. Bass is forbidden from hunting for two
years, must perform five days community service work and he must pay $200
toward repair of deer decoys used by enforcement agents in the apprehension
of illegal night hunters.
Assistant District Attorney Julie Jones prosecuted the case for the state.
Agents involved in the case were Sgt. Chuck Dison, Sgt. Michael Kelley and
Senior Agents Jared McIver and Jason Clinton.
L.D.W.F AGENTS NAB GAME FISH POACHERS
Enforcement agents from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
observed illegal fishing activity on Old River north of Lake Providence that
led to the arrest of five subjects on April 2.
Agents observed Clinton Crenshaw, 22, of Epps, Steven Miles, 40, of Lake
Providence, and Richard Capo, 37, of Silsbee, Texas fishing with a net with
an illegal mesh size. They charged the men with illegally taking game fish,
using an illegal mesh net, taking commercial fish without a commercial
license, having no commercial gear license and failing to mark or tag the
nets.
Crenshaw, Correan Crenshaw, 20, of Pioneer, and Jerry Wayne Atkinson, 37, of
Silsbee, Texas, were witnessed participating in alleged drug use during the
agents' observation of illegal fishing activity, and charged with possession
of drug paraphernalia.
Clinton Crenshaw and Atkinson were also booked for littering violations.
Miles was also cited for failing to comply with personal flotation device
requirements and having no light on a non-powered watercraft. One
additional subject, Charles Ray Conner, Jr., 30, was cited and released for
one count of littering.
If convicted the following penalties may be imposed on each crime: the
taking of game fish illegally carries fines of $400 to $750 and jail time up
to 120 days, the use of illegal mesh nets has fines of $400 to $450 and jail
time up to 120 days, the failure to tag nets carries fines of $250 to $500
and up to 90 days in jail, the taking of commercial fish without licenses
has fines of $250 to $500 and up to 90 days in jail.
For littering violators the fine may range from $250 to $1250 and sentenced
to serve eight hours of community service in a litter abatement program as
approved by the court. The maximum penalty for possession of drug
paraphernalia is $500 and six months in jail. Court costs will also be
added to any punishment above. The failure to comply with PFD requirements
and no light on a non-powered watercraft is punishable by a $50 fine and15
days in jail with no court costs on the first offense.
Agents issued 23 citations in this case and seized a 14-foot aluminum boat,
200 yards of two-inch gill net, drug paraphernalia and 31 miscellaneous
fish.
Agents participating in the case were Sgt. Jamey Hagan, Sgt. Darren Bruce,
and Senior Agent Wayne Parker. East Carroll Parish Deputies Robert Hall and
Mike Outzs also provided assistance for the agents.
SHRIMP PEDDLER WHEELED TO JAIL
Agents from the
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF)
Enforcement Division Special Investigations Unit and Special Operations
arrested a man in the Baton Rouge area for alleged felony theft by fraud,
selling fish without a retail seafood license and failing to maintain
records in East Baton Rouge Parish on Friday, April 15,
Agents apprehended Jarrid Scott Boudreaux, 23, of Rayne, after receiving
numerous complaints of him selling shrimp in the Baton Rouge area without
proper licenses and cheating customers by giving them about half the shrimp
they paid for. Agents encountered Boudreaux making a sale for 310 pounds of
shrimp, which ended up only weighing 158 pounds.
Agents also cited Boudreaux with two other misdemeanor theft charges from
previous shrimp sales transactions.
The maximum penalty for theft by fraud in excess of $500 is imprisonment
with or without hard labor for ten years or a fine of $3,000 or both.
Failure to maintain records and buying or selling fish without a retail
license each carry a fine up to $500 or jail time up to 90 days or both plus
court costs per count cited.
According to Law Enforcement Division Administrator, Colonel Winton Vidrine,
the LDWF Enforcement Division will continue to actively investigate
complaints of fraudulent seafood sales committed against the public. "But
people should use caution when purchasing shrimp from door to door vendors,"
he said.
Boudreaux was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison where his bond was
set at $6000.
Agents participating in the case were Lt. Jay Diez and Senior Agent Joel
Cromp.
HIGHWAY TURKEY HUNTERS CAUGHT
Two men were arrested for allegedly killing a wild turkey from a moving
vehicle and public road, and for possession of an illegally taken turkey on
Louisiana Highway 10 on March 31.
West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office and St. Francisville Police
Department dispatchers reported a cell phone call about two men in a white
Ford truck shooting a wild turkey from the window of a vehicle along
Louisiana Highway 10 on their way to St. Francisville.
Sheriff's dispatchers notified Senior Agent Paul Stuckey of the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division, who immediately
responded to the call. Mark G. Delaune 31, of Baton Rouge and Lynn J.
Landry, 30, of Denham Springs were apprehended along Louisiana Highway 61 in
St. Francisville.
Based on eyewitness testimony and voluntary statements from Delaune and
Landry, Agent Stuckey booked both subjects into the West Feliciana Parish
jail.
The penalty for hunting from a moving vehicle is court costs plus a fine of
$250 to $500 or jail time up to 90 days or both. Hunting from a public road
is punishable by court costs and a fine of $100 to $350 or up to 60 days of
jail or both. Possession of an illegally taken turkey carries a fine of $400
to $750 or jail time up to120 days or both, plus court costs and forfeiture
of anything seized in connection with the investigation.
In addition, Landry was cited for hunting without a basic resident hunting
license, hunting without a resident big game license and hunting turkey
without a turkey stamp. Each license violation is punishable by a $50 fine.
Landry and Delaune are scheduled for arraignment on June 16 before the
Twentieth Judicial District Court in St. Francisville.
Deputy Lynn Bonaventure and Officers Scott Ford and Marty Freeman assisted
with the case.
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