FREDERICA – An investigation by DNREC’s Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers into multiple complaints of theft and commercial crabbing violations resulted in the arrests today of a Frederica couple. The couple was arrested for tending crabs pots belonging to another commercial crabber, stealing crabs out of the pots, and selling the crabs for profit.

Matthew Ewing, 35, a licensed Delaware commercial crabber, was charged with one count each of theft under $1,500 and conspiracy in the third degree, and 22 counts each of lifting a commercial crab pot belonging to another commercial fisherman and unlawful take of shellfish.

Patricia Ewing, 35, was arrested for one count each of theft under $1,500.00 and conspiracy in the third degree, and 22 counts of unlawful take of shellfish.

Both Matthew and Patricia Ewing were arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover. Matthew Ewing was released on a $2,300 unsecured bond and Patricia Ewing was released on a $1,100 unsecured bond pending future court appearances in the Kent County Court of Common Pleas.

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

Vol. 48, No. 239

Other defendants face prison time for assault and escape charges

Deputy Attorneys General Kelly Sheridan and Jamie McCloskey secured a guilty plea from a 30-year-old Middletown man for robbery and weapons charges. From 2016 to 2017, police believe Brandon Dixon and an accomplice robbed multiple businesses throughout New Castle County armed with guns. Dixon pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, two counts of Robbery Second Degree, Conspiracy Second Degree and a Violation of Probation. Dixon is facing a minimum of 25 years in prison if declared a habitual offender at the time of sentencing in December, based on previous convictions for weapon and burglary charges.

A 28-year-old Wilmington man faces a minimum of 4 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to an assault last year. In December 2016, Wilmington Police responded to a call regarding an assault with a tire iron at Celebrations nightclub and restaurant located on South Market Street. Video surveillance of the attack led police to Alphonso Williams. Deputy Attorney General Christina Kontis secured the plea from Alphonso Williams to Assault Second Degree and Conspiracy Second Degree. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 4 years in prison when sentenced in December if he is declared a habitual offender as a result of previous convictions for weapons, drug dealing and theft. Lisa Loikith, a paralegal, and Crystal Pitts, social worker, assisted Deputy Attorney General Kontis with the case.

Deputy Attorney General Matthew Bloom secured a guilty plea from a habitual offender on the charge of Escape After Conviction. Wayne L. Williams Jr., 46, escaped from the Plummer Work Release Center to travel to New Jersey and fight his former girlfriend’s boyfriend, but caused no injuries to the boyfriend. Williams has a prior conviction for Escape and multiple Robbery convictions. Sentencing in the matter was deferred.

Other defendants face probation and convictions for financial exploitation and armed robbery

Attorneys with the Delaware Department of Justice recently obtained several criminal convictions and sentences:

Alethea Davis-Moses, 46, of Chester, Pennsylvania pled guilty to Financial Exploitation of a Patient in a case handled by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Barchi and Special Investigator Joe Trala. Davis-Moses was a caretaker who withdrew $500 from a resident of a group home without the resident’s consent. The court sentenced Davis-Moses to $500 of restitution, to one year of prison suspended to a year of probation, and ordered to have no contact with the victim or nursing home.

Christopher Szymanski, 45, of Wilmington, faces court-ordered completion of a drug treatment program and probation along with several additional orders secured by Deputy Attorney General Renee Hrivnak on the charges of Theft Felony and Crime Against a Vulnerable Adult, Theft from Senior and Forgery 2nd. Over the course of a year, Szymanski stole checks from his elderly mother and his autistic brother, forged them and cashed them, resulting in over $20,000 from his brother and over $6,000 from his mother. The court sentenced Szymanski to 8 years Level V prison but suspended it upon successful completion of a Level V drug treatment program for 6 months Level IV, followed by a year of Level III probation. Defendant was ordered to undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations, be monitored by TASC, have no contact with the victims or his co-defendant, and to pay restitution to his brother and a bank.

Deputy Attorney General Christina Kontis secured a guilty plea from Joseph Rosado, 22, of Wilmington. to one count of Robbery 1st Degree, two counts of Robbery 2nd Degree, one count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony and one count of Reckless Endangering 1st Degree stemming from a series of robberies where defendant brandished a firearm and demanded money. Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2016.

Kimberly Parker, 49, of Laurel, pled guilty April 15, 2016, to two counts of Felony Theft Greater Than $1500, and one count of Felony Second Degree Forgery.

In December 2015, Parker was employed as a teacher in the Laurel School District. An investigation by Laurel Police showed she stole $2,550 from the Laurel Elementary School, as well as $36,191.42 from the Laurel Education Association, where she was considered a “person of trust.”

At the time of her plea, Parker tendered restitution in the amount of $2,550 for the PTO, and tendered an initial payment of $20,000 for the teachers union.

Parker will be sentenced on June 10, 2016.

DOVER (April 26, 2013) – To achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement agents between April 16-23 made 597 contacts with hunters, anglers and boaters, and other members of the public, including 57 boardings for boating safety/fishing regulation compliance checks. Agents responded to 33 complaints and issued 22 citations for violations of fish, game, traffic and criminal regulations. Of particular interest were: 

• The arrest of a Townsend man for trespass and theft on the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. A Fish & Wildlife agent investigating vandalism and illegal entry into buildings on the wildlife area noticed a man attempting to remove a lightning rod from the roof of a barn behind a DNREC-owned 19^th century property known as the Chabbott House. Charles J. Bachman, 70, was cited for one count of trespass and one count of theft under $1,500.
   
• Agents charged two Seaford men with illegal possession of river herring during a closed season. One of them, Brice M. Smart, 54, was hit with a third charge of illegal possession since a ban on river herring went into effect last year in Delaware. Smart was transported to Justice of the Peace Court #3 and arraigned on one count of unlawful possession of river herring and one count of failing to produce a fishing license. He was released on $150 unsecured bond with the special condition that he not fish in Delaware waters until the case is adjudicated. Michael J. Schaffers, 25, was cited at the same time for illegal possession of river herring.
• Increased Fish & Wildlife enforcement presence on the new C&D Canal Trail under construction resulted in six of the citations mentioned above: two for illegal dumping, three for fishing without a license, and one for driving without a license.

  Also on the C&D Canal Wildlife Area, an enforcement agent checking a complaint of illegal hunting near the new trail was approached by citizens who reported four pit bull dogs running loose in the area. The agent contacted the SPCA for assistance, and SPCA officers located and captured the dogs, then took them to a shelter.

Citations issued by violation type included the following, with the number of charges in parentheses:

Wildlife Conservation: Hunting wild turkey over bait, Sussex County (1).

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Illegal possession of river herring, Sussex County (2); Fishing without a license, New Castle County (3), Sussex (1).

Public Safety: Illegal dumping, New Castle (2), Kent (1) and Sussex (1) Counties; Operating a motor vehicle without a license, New Castle (1); Trespassing on state property, New Castle (1); Theft of state property less than $1,500 in value, New Castle (1).

 Inside Enforcement: 

• Agents throughout the state are continuing to prepare patrol boats stored over the winter for the start of the upcoming spring boating season. 
   
• Half of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement agents have completed spring firearms training and recertification.  All are expected to be recertified by the end of May.  
   
• Agents noted an increase in complaints related to nuisance/injured wildlife; on April 22, Fish & Wildlife Dispatch documented seven calls related to foxes alone.

 Are you AWARE?

The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section reminds recreational crabbers who are setting up for the season about state regulations for catching blue crabs:

• A Delaware recreational fishing license is required for crabbing.
• Recreational crabbers may not use, place, set or tend more than two crab pots.
• Recreational crab pots must be tended by the owner at least once every 72 hours and must be marked with white buoys with the owner’s name and permanent mailing address.
• A turtle by-catch reduction device is required to be attached in the funnel entrance of recreational crab pots to reduce the possibility of diamondback terrapins entering the pots and drowning. The device is a rigid rectangular frame made of metal or plastic that measures 1.75 inches by 4.75 inches. By-catch devices are available at local tackle shops or may be handmade of heavy wire.
• Recreational crabbers may use any number of hand lines or traps.
• Minimum “keeper” size for male blue crabs and immature female crabs with the V-shaped apron is 5 inches, measured across the shell from point to point.
• Mature female crabs, identified by the U-shaped apron, are exempt from the minimum size of 5” because many females reach maturity at a smaller size. 
• Mature female blue crabs bearing eggs, known as sponge crabs and recognizable by the orange eggs visible under the apron, may not be taken and should be returned to the water immediately.
• The recreational daily limit on blue crabs is one bushel per person.

Recreational anglers and crabbers also are reminded that fishing or crabbing off of courtesy docks at state-owned boat ramps is prohibited. Anglers and crabbers also should remember that these areas are “carry in, carry out,” and gather up leftover bait, bait containers, crab lines and other trash for proper disposal; those who do not can be cited for littering. “When left behind, crabbing lines are not only an eyesore for other anglers, crabbers and area visitors, they present a danger of entanglement to wildlife attracted to leftover bait,” said Sgt. Gregory Rhodes of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement. This reminder also serves recreational notice to crabbers and anglers, as the Division of Fish & Wildlife has in the past restricted access to areas where littering and dumping become a constant problem, and will do so again if warranted.

With spring finally warming our waterways, anglers also are reminded that using any type of net to catch fish within 300 feet below a dam or spillway is illegal, with the exception of using a landing net on a fish caught with hook and line.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish and wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Hunting/Pages/OpGameTheft.aspx.

Contact: Sgt. Gregory Rhodes, Division of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement, 302-739-9913 or 302-542-6102, or Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 43, No.172

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