Lower Keys

Florida Keys Seafood Festival – Key West

The Keys celebrate the bounty of the sea — Florida lobster, yellowtail, sweet pink shrimp, grouper, stone crab claws and more — during the third annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan. 19. The event, at Key West’s Bayview Park at Truman Avenue and Eisenhower Drive, features music and children’s activities as well as such specialties as conch chowder and conch fritters. All the seafood available for purchase will be prepared by fishermen and their families. Admission is free. Proceeds benefit the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association and scholarships for college-bound children of commercial fishermen. Call 800-527-8539.

Conquering the Quieter Side of Key West

General Cigar Announces Counterfeit COHIBA Cigars Seized in Key West

General Cigar announces that federal and Florida state law enforcement officials yesterday seized more than 3,000 counterfeit COHIBA cigars from seven tobacco retail stores located in prime tourist areas of Key West, Florida.

Individual cigars were sold at approximately $20 apiece. Based on current estimates, the approximate street value of goods seized was more than $60,000.

The counterfeit cigar seizures followed a lengthy investigation conducted in cooperation with General Cigar Company, which is the exclusive owner of the COHIBA trademark in the U.S. The lead law enforcement agency for yesterday’s seizures was the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, assisted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Florida Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco Bureau of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Dan Carr, president of General Cigar said, “The seizure of counterfeit COHIBA cigars yesterday represents a clear victory in General Cigar’s fight to protect our cigar bands from counterfeiters and trademark infringers. We look forward to continuing to cooperate with federal and state law enforcement officials in Florida and have offered to assist in any prosecutions and future investigations.”

Glenn Bennett Catches Potential All-Tackle Length Record Greater Amberjack in Key West

Philadelphia, PA, USA native Glenn Bennett recently took a trip to Key West, FL, USA with his daughter and IGFA record holder, Brielle Bennett, to do some record hunting with his brother Captain Brian Bennett. The trip produced three potential record fish for young Brielle, but Glenn also joined the fun with a 140 cm greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) that he landed on July 17, 2011. With the current record at 120 cm, Bennett’s fish qualifies for a new potential All-Tackle Length record as it was released after being photographed and measured.

Well Known Key West Local Sentenced for Illegal Sales of Black Grouper

David Paul Horan Jr. was sentenced to two years’ probation and 200 hours of community service Wednesday for illegally selling black grouper in 2008 to the Rusty Anchor fish house on Stock Island.

Horan Jr., 42, of Key West, pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in August in which he will testify in other such cases in exchange for them not recommending the maximum sentence of five years’ prison, three years’ probation and a $250,000 fine, court documents say.

He was sentenced at the federal courthouse in Key West before U.S. District Judge Michael K. Moore, who had already approved the plea deal. Horan Jr., who is not a commercial fisherman, had a state license that allowed him to sell fish commercially, but not a federal license to harvest federally protected grouper.

Stock Island Father & Son Lobster Mobsters Arrested

Illegal catch seized by FWC officers shows 153 wrung tails, or which 106 were undersize.

Two Stock Island men, a father and son, were arrested Tuesday on charges of possessing more than 100 undersized lobster tails.

Rigoberto Morales, 43, and Rigoberto Morales Jr., 26, were taken into custody after Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers reported the defendants carried a cache of illegal lobster tails off their skiff after it docked in a Stock Island canal.

Lt. Roy Payne and Officer Jimmy Johnson “observed the two men exiting their vessel with an orange plastic basket full of wrung crawfish tails and stone-crab claws,” an agency spokesman reported.

An inventory of the basket counted out 153 wrung lobster tails, of which 106 were below the legal size limit. Six stone-crab claws, taken out of season, also were found.

Both men were charged with possession of wrung lobster tails on the water, possession of undersize lobster, and possession of stone-crab claws in a closed season.

The younger Morales remained in custody at press time in lieu of a $30,000 bond.

Bond information on the father was not available at press time.

FWC Officers Seth Wingard, Josh Peters and Bryan Fugate also took part in the arrests.

3 More Lobster Mobsters Arrested in the Lower Florida Keys – Facing Jail Time.

BY ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff alinhardt@keysnews.com

Federal investigators say a Key West seafood distributor and two commercial fishermen arrested Friday took part in a lobster poaching ring that netted them thousands of dollars. Holiday Seafood Key West owner Scott Greager, Odyssea Sportfishing charter boat owner and captain Rush Maltz of Saddlebunch Keys, and Titus Werner of Big Pine Key were charged with conspiracy to illegally harvest lobster and the sale of illegally harvested lobster.

Each man faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted. The government also wants Maltz to forfeit his 2006 26-foot SeaVee and 1973 23-foot T-Craft as well as all related equipment, engines, tackle and trailer.

The arrests are the latest in what is becoming a federal war on the illegal harvest of spiny lobster using artificial habitats called casitas in the Florida Keys. The law enforcement arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has taken the lead. According to the 13-page indictment, Maltz and Werner dove on casitas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary for lobster from May 2007 to March 2009 and sold more than 5,000 pounds of lobster to Greager, who it turn sold it to other vendors.

Maltz and Werner far exceeded the daily commercial lobster dive limit of 250, the indictment alleges. More than $40,000 worth of lobsters were allegedly poached and sold via the ring. In one alleged transaction on Aug. 14, 2007, Greager bought 1,460 pounds of lobster from Maltz and Werner for $10,218. Five days later, they allegedly sold Greager 1,279 pounds more for $8,951.

Federal prosecutors say Greager sold the lobsters primarily to two unnamed Miami-based seafood distributors, known as “Distributor A” and “Distributor B” in the indictment. Investigators also allege that Greager used a wholesale dealer’s license that was issued under the Conch Republic Seafood Co. restaurant and bar, at 631 Greene St., adjacent to Holiday Seafood Key West. No charges were filed against Conch Republic Seafood.

All three men were released Friday evening after family or friends signed bail paperwork stating the U.S. government would sue each defendant and their co-signer for $150,000 if they failed to show up for their court dates.

The arrests of the three men follow Operation Freezer Burn, a multiyear investigation by state and federal law enforcement agencies that took down two of the biggest lobster poachers in the Florida Keys in recent memory, David Dreifort, and his wife, Denise. Sentenced to 30 months’ and seven months’ respectively, the couple also was ordered to forfeit more than $1 million in property. The investigation secured four other convictions with sentences ranging from 10 months in prison to a year on parole.

A subsequent investigation, dubbed Operation Frost Bite, nabbed two more men who had worked with the Dreiforts. Both served about 10 months in prison. One of those men, 25-year-old John Buckheim, was charged with felony littering this week about five months after his release from prison. State prosecutors allege he illegally dumped a boat in the water while under investigation during Operation Frost Bite.

As with many of the previous cases, Greager, Maltz and Werner were arrested at the beginning of lobster season.

Big Coppitt Lobster Mobster also Conch Mobster

Key West Lobsterfest Aug. 12-14, 2011

Sensational Crustaceans to Star at Key West Lobsterfest Aug. 12-14

Slow Down For Key Deer on Big Pine Key

On May 12, I saw two Key deer die from vehicle impacts in a 40-minute timeframe on U.S.1 on Big Pine Key.

The first deer-hit happened in front of me in the oncoming lane. I was stopped to make a turn south. What came to mind first was to call for help. Who was I to call? I picked up my cell and dialed 911.

As I was on this call, I watched citizens stopping to assist the deer, which was dying in the median (a traumatic scene). I then watched these citizens pick the deer up after it quit moving and carry it to the side of the road. Within two minutes of the accident, the fire chief drove over the bridge with his emergency lights running.

I pulled into the parking lot where the vehicle involved had parked. The deer had run and jumped at lightening speed from the north side of U.S. 1 into the south-side lane and had jumped into the Volkswagen’s headlight. The driver, who was not speeding, assured me he was OK and stood there very shaken by the experience.

I then thought, why did those men move that deer so quickly, and should they have done that? What if it created further injury? I looked up and the fire department’s truck was leaving with the deer.

I completed my business and on my way back to Marathon, stopped at the light on Big Pine, two deer came across U.S. 1, looking both ways to ensure a safe trip across. I continued down U.S. 1 and again, on the side of the road, just at the start of the bridge by the church, there are several vehicles with emergency lights tending to another vehicle/deer accident. This is crazy, I thought. Why so many deer and two accidents in 40 minutes?

When I arrived home I went to the Internet site for the National Key Deer Refuge to see if there was information on how one is supposed to handle or not handle a Key deer after it’s been hit by a car, or if there were information on who to call in that situation. No luck.

I then called the refuge information number and inquired about the two deer that had been hit. The first had died at the scene, and the second had to be euthanized due to severe injuries. Also, their main concern is for public safety first. If the dying deer was creating a traffic hazard, by all means the deer needed to be moved.

It’s the fawning season right now for the deer, and the deer are out in full force, the deer refuge informed me.

Did you know there are between 100 and 130 vehicle hits/deer deaths per year? Be irritated all you want when it comes to slowing down on Big Pine Key. After witnessing the writhing and spasming of that deer in front of me and how shook and sad the driver was, I believe my future irritation just went out the car window.

Kim Peck

Marathon