Poachers Nabbed; Drunken Driver Jailed In Recent Cases

Officers charged crab and oyster poachers, and secured jail time for a drunken driver who crashed in a state park, in cases recently handled by the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

A Baltimore County man who is under a lifetime ban from engaging in commercial or recreational fishing was charged Saturday with harvesting crabs at the mouth of the Patuxent River.

Thomas William Pannebaker, 45, of Essex, could face a year in jail and/or a $25,000 fine when he appears in Calvert County District Court on July 11.

Pannebaker received his lifetime ban in 2003 from a Baltimore County judge after he was caught by Natural Resources Police officers near Essex Skypark and cited for 10 violations, including crabbing with illegal pots and wearing night vision goggles. At that time, Pannebaker had a court record of more than a decade that included eight convictions for crabbing in a restricted area, crabbing without a license, using illegal equipment and crabbing on days when he shouldn’t have.

Pannebaker was working aboard a commercial boat when he was caught during a routine inspection.

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A Thurmont man involved in an accident last November at the entrance to Cunningham Falls State Park was fined $500 and sentenced to 60 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired.

In addition to the penalty imposed by a Frederick County District Court judge last Wednesday, Dennis Wayne Hurley Jr., 39, also had his driver’s license suspended 120 days for refusing to take a breathalyzer test, and an additional 90 days for failing to complete the state ignition interlock program following a previous drunken driving conviction.

Hurley was arrested after he drove his car into a ditch inside the park entrance, and officers found empty and full bottles of whiskey inside. He failed a roadside sobriety test. Witnesses said he bypassed the ignition interlock system by having others breathe into it.

Last July, Hurley was found guilty in Frederick County District Court of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was fined $1,500, with $1,200 suspended, and sentenced to three years in jail with two years and 11 months suspended.

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A Calvert County man was charged with illegal oystering on Saturday following a lengthy investigation.

Jason Kevin Hoffman, 31, of Lusby, was charged with harvesting oysters during a closed season and selling oysters caught for recreational purposes.

Officers began receiving complaints in January about illegal activities and began conducting surveillance of Hoffman’s oyster diving operation.

He is scheduled to appear in Calvert County District Court on July 11. If found guilty, he could be fined as much as $2,000.