This Toyota Tacoma pickup was captured on surveillance camera entering the Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Site in Newark twice Sunday evening and illegally dumping material other than yard waste. DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit is seeking information about the identity of the truck’s driver. /DNREC photo.

NEWARK (July 31, 2019) – Natural Resources Police Officers with DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit are seeking the public’s help in identifying the driver of the red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck pictured above who was twice seen on surveillance cameras Sunday, July 28 illegally dumping solid waste at DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Site in Newark.

The Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Site, which is open from 8 a.m. to sunset Saturdays and Sundays, does not accept any materials other than yard waste. Yard waste is defined as plant material that comes from lawn maintenance and other gardening and landscaping activities. This includes grass clippings, leaves, prunings, brush, garden wastes, Christmas trees, and tree limbs up to four inches in diameter. Dumping other materials at the site is illegal.

DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit ask that anyone with information about this case to call 1-800-662-8802 or 302-739-9401.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 206

DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit Natural Resources Police officers investigated this fire on Sandtown Road on April 4. DNREC ECU photo.

FELTON – Natural Resources Police Officers with DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit arrested two Kent County men April 4 on multiple illegal burning charges related to a fire in the Felton area. DNREC ECU officers responded at the request of the Felton Fire Company to investigate a large fire at a property on Sandtown Road, with fire companies from Harrington, Greensboro, Md., and Goldsboro, Md., also responding to assist.

Muhammad Iran, 29, and Muhammad Asim, 33, both of Felton, were each cited at the scene for one count of each of causing or allowing the illegal open burning of refuse; illegal open burning in the conduct of a salvage operation; failure to give prior notice to the local fire call board for open burning; and unauthorized burning. Each charge carries a minimum fine of $100 each.

DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit also reminds residents that the state’s open burning ban is in effect May 1-Sept. 30. Residents can find more information on open burning on the DNREC Air Resources Web Page at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/air/open-burning/.

Delawareans are encouraged to report open burning violations to DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit by calling the 24-hour environmental complaints line at 800-662-8802.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 87

Evidence photo of tires dumped in the Newark area. DNREC Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit photo.

NEWARK – Following an investigation into illegal dumping of scrap tires in Newark, DNREC Natural Resources Police Officers with the Environmental Crimes Unit arrested a Newark man Dec. 14 for illegal dumping and hauling solid waste without a permit. The illegal dumping of tires took place over several days earlier this month.

Robert B. Halter, 39, of Newark, was charged with two counts of causing or contributing to the disposal or discharge of solid waste materials and two counts of transportation, storage, or collection of solid waste without a permit.

Halter had active capias out of Justice of the Peace Court 11, New Castle County Court of Common Pleas, and Family Court. He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 in New Castle, where he was committed to Howard Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, after failing to pay $2,000 cash bond related to the prior capias. He received an additional $200 unsecured bond for the four charges of dumping and hauling scrap tires without a permit.

Delaware residents can report illegal trash dumping to DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit by calling the 24-hour environmental complaints line at 800-662-8802.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 340

DOVER – DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers arrested two Sussex County men in the Frankford area Nov. 16 as the result of an ongoing investigation into illegal nighttime deer poaching activities.

Sewall B. Hickman, 23, of Frankford, was charged with two counts each of possessing or transporting antlered deer that were unlawfully killed; hunting deer during closed season; hunting at nighttime; unlawfully loaded firearm; hunting from a motor vehicle; and conspiracy 3rd degree. Hickman was also charged with one count each of failure to attach deer tag to an antlered deer; failure to check antlered deer within 24 hours; antlered deer registration violation; method of take violation; killing an antlered deer without first purchasing a hunter’s choice deer tag; and discharge of a firearm within 15 yards of public road or right-of-way. Hickman was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown, where he was released on $1,800 unsecured bond pending a future court appearance.

Keith A. Hickman, 47, of Selbyville, was charged with two counts each of possessing or transporting antlered deer that were unlawfully killed; hunting deer during closed season; hunting at nighttime; unlawfully loaded firearm; hunting from a motor vehicle; and conspiracy 3rd degree. Hickman was also charged with one count each of failure to attach deer tag to an antlered deer; failure to check antlered deer within 24 hours; antlered deer registration violation; method of take violation; and discharge of a firearm within 15 yards of public road or right-of-way. Hickman was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown, where he was released on $1,700 unsecured bond pending a future court appearance.

As a result of the arrests, DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources police seized a Chevrolet pickup truck, a GMC SUV, one rifle, two antlered deer heads, and numerous other hunting-related instruments.

Like Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-382-7167; or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 48, No. 320

HARRINGTON – Natural Resources Police Officers with DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit arrested a Greenwood man Aug. 21 for illegal dumping in Harrington.

Raymond H Wood, 32, was charged with causing or contributing to the disposal or discharge of solid waste materials, and transportation, storage, or collection of solid waste without a permit. Wood was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover, Delaware and released on $200 unsecured bail.

His arrest comes following an investigation into a dumping complaint along Fisher’s Bridge Road in Harrington. Through investigative measures, Wood was identified as having been hired through a contracting company to remove and dispose the refuse that was later found dumped off Fisher’s Bridge Road.

The minimum fine for dumping is $500, up to $1,500 maximum. The fine for transportation, storage, or collection of solid waste without a permit is $100 for a first offense, plus the cost of an annual permit, $350.

Delawareans are asked to report illegal trash dumping to DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit by calling the 24-hour environmental complaints line at 800-662-8802.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 234