Officers Nab Striped Bass, Turkey Poachers; Arrest Drunken Driver

Turkey seized in poaching case

Striped bass poaching cases on the Eastern Shore, illegal turkey hunting in western Maryland, and the arrest of a drunken driver in Washington County highlight cases recently handled by the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

A saturation patrol on Saturday and Sunday in Dorchester County resulted in charges being filed against several people for poaching striped bass. Officers cited people for catching undersized fish, too many fish and violating regulations concerning legal fishing hours.

In one instance, Juan Casarrubias Sanchez, 41, and Alma Parra Soto, 43, were caught with 54 striped bass in their possession when stopped by officers near the Fishing Creek Bridge. Both must appear in Dorchester County District Court on June 15 and could be fined a maximum of $4,500 if found guilty.

Also, officers returned 24 striped bass to the water and issued citations to Carlos Antonio Torres Rivera, 36, and Ashley Nichole Torres, 31, both of Glen Burnie. Their court date has not been scheduled.

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On Monday, the opening day of the spring turkey season, a Cumberland man was charged with hunting turkeys with the aid of bait off Buckley Road in Oldtown.

Delmis Harvey Shaw, 73, received one citation and a warning for failing to have a secondary form of identification with him. Officers found shelled corn on the site Friday afternoon and returned Monday morning to find Shaw hunting the area from a treestand blind.

Shaw is scheduled to appear in Allegany County District Court on June 23. If found guilty, he could be fined up to $1,500.

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Officers on patrol in Garrett County charged three men and a woman with illegal turkey hunting in two separate incidents.

On Saturday, Irvin George Platter, 63, of Grantsville, was caught hunting before the start of the season and hunting over bait by officers who noticed earlier in the week that turkeys were gathering in a grassy field in Friendsville and not scattering when they approached. Searching the area, the officers discovered it was littered with shelled corn. Returning Saturday before dawn, they heard a turkey call and watched as Platter scattered corn from a plastic bag. He was carrying a loaded shotgun.

Platter is scheduled to appear in Garrett County District Court on June 2. He could be fined as much as $3,000 if found guilty of hunting turkey over bait and hunting in a closed season.

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On Monday, officers charged three people with hunting over bait after finding corn feeders and scattered corn in a field in Barton before the start of the season.

Caleb Thomas East Jr., 71, Robert Allen East Jr., 22, and Sarah Nicole McLeod,19, all of Mount Airy, were actively hunting when officers approached. A turkey, shot by Caleb East, had not been field tagged.

All three people are scheduled to appear in Garrett County District Court on June 2 and could be fined up to $1,500 if found guilty. The turkey was donated to charity.

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On Saturday afternoon, an officer on patrol in Hagerstown noticed a car being driven erratically on Robinwood Drive. The vehicle passed the patrol car and sped away at 80 mph. Although the day was clear and sunny, the vehicle’s windshield wipers were on.

After several attempts, the officer was able to pull the car over. The driver, Leonard Martin Cotton III, 31, of Hagerstown, failed field sobriety tests and was taken to the local Maryland State Police barrack for a breathalyzer test. Cotton registered a blood alcohol content of .24, three times the legal limit.

He was arrested and charged with three counts of drunken driving, driving on a revoked license, negligent driving and speeding. A court date has not been set.