Blackfish Poacher Using Stolen ID Busted by NYSDEC
On a scale of: “Catching a 50-pounder” to “Having to show up to court for poaching you didn’t commit”, how’s your week going? A blackfish poacher using an inflatable boat and stolen identity racked up over a month’s worth of fishing violations, with the court summons reaching the ID theft victim as opposed to the actual offender.
When the victim appeared in court for the crimes they did not commit, their story was validated and the ECOs went hunting for the real offender, finding them in the same inflatable boat that they had busted them in previously.
The poacher refused to cooperate when confronted and even produced the stolen ID, leading to their arrest for false personation and even more poaching violations. NY Penal code section 190.23 classifies false personation as a Class B Misdemeanor, with a maximum sentence of up to 3 months (90 days) and maximum fine of $500 or double the amount of the individual’s financial gain from the offense, whichever is greater.
“A person is guilty of false personation when after being informed of
the consequences of such act, he or she knowingly misrepresents his or
her actual name, date of birth or address to a police officer or peace
officer with intent to prevent such police officer or peace officer from
ascertaining such information.”
Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/190.23
It’s unfortunate that fishing violations are usually seen a ‘cost-of-doing business’ among poachers in terms of the monetary penalty. Perhaps a month’s worth of fines combined with the false personation charge is significant enough to put this poacher/identity thief and their inflatable boat out of business for good.
Here’s the full story from the press release:
An angler known to ECOs Rappold and Kortz for multiple fishing violations in Brooklyn had to answer a month’s worth of violations accumulated while fishing from an unregistered inflatable boat. On the day the violator was expected in court, an unknown person arrived and claimed they received several notices to appear in court for fishing violations they did not commit. The subject claimed he wasn’t an angler and recently a victim of identity theft, with multiple credit cards opened in their name. ECO Kortz investigated and verified the individual’s story. Determined to hold the real culprit accountable, the Officer patrolled the fishing area in search of the illegal angler. ECOs Kortz and Keegan successfully identified the subject on board the same unregistered inflatable vessel during their patrol and confronted the defendant with the new evidence. The subject refused to cooperate and continued to use the false ID. Officer Kortz arrested the individual for false impersonation, as well as numerous fish and wildlife violations. The now positively identified subject was also ticketed for each violation committed with the false identity.
» Click to see the official press release from the NYSDEC
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Source: https://onthewater.com/blackfish-poacher-using-stolen-id-busted-by-nysdec
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