Three face poaching, perjury charges for illegal oyster sales in Crisfield
Maryland Natural Resources Police say three Crisfield men have been charged with multiple counts of illegal oyster harvesting from state waters and falsifying records to try to cover their tracks.
An investigation spanning two months led officers to discover 31-year-old Paul Franklin Tyler III, 39-year-old Mark Nelson Sneade and 37-year-old Rodney William Burke all reportedly sold oysters to Southern Connection Seafood in Crisfield using fraudulent active harvest license numbers on shellfish sales records.
DNR says all three could face prison time and fines costing several thousand dollars for harvesting the oysters without a license.
Police say Tyler and Sneade illegally took oysters at nighttime from the Kitts Creek Oyster Sanctuary in Pocomoke Sound.
Tyler already had his oyster harvesting privileges permanently revoked in the State of Maryland back in April.
DNR says Tyler has been charged with four counts of fishing while under revocation.
He, along with Sneade, is also charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit perjury, willfully making a false entry in a public record, oyster harvesting without a license, failing to pay the tidal fishing license surcharge, harvesting in an oyster sanctuary, harvesting oysters outside legal hours, having oysters aboard a vessel overnight and failing to supply necessary information to the buyer.
The maximum penalty for these charges is 13 years in prison and a fine of up to $16,000, DNR officials said.
Burke is charged with conspiracy to commit perjury, willfully making a false entry in a public record, oyster harvesting without a license, failing to pay the tidal fishing license surcharge, and failing to supply necessary information to the buyer. He similarly could face up to 13 years in prison and a fine of up to $3,000 if found guilty.
Both Tyler and Sneade will have a preliminary hearing in Somerset County District Court on Friday.
Burke is already in custody and has been committed on a bond of $15,000, officials said. Burke's trial date is scheduled for March 14th.
