Marijuana possession, state lands destruction among FWC incidents

MILTON — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission filed these cases between Sept. 1 and 14 in Santa Rosa County:

Officer Mullins received a call of a derelict vessel in the Peterson Point area. Mullins identified and located the last registered owner for the vessel, met the subject and provided him information regarding his derelict vessel. The subject received a citation for leaving a vessel in derelict condition.
Officer Mullins was on patrol in Yellow River Wildlife Management Area when he observed a subject fishing in a creek. Mullins began checking the subject and spoke with another subject standing by a vehicle. Officer Hutchinson arrived on scene to assist. During the inspection, the officers discovered that the subjects were in possession of the controlled substance methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and cannabis. The officers arrested the subjects. Authorities booked them into the Santa Rosa County Jail.
Officers Hoomes and Roberson were loading their patrol vessel from a local boat ramp when they observed two subjects seated in a vehicle in the parking area. The officers observed one subject continually attempting to light a pipe. As the officers approached, the subject attempted to conceal the pipe. The officers determined the pipe contained cannabis. An additional bag of cannabis and other drug paraphernalia were in the vehicle. Both subjects received the appropriate citations.
Officer Hutchinson was patrolling the Blackwater State Forest when he observed a truck turn onto a dirt road next to where he was conducting a traffic stop. The truck began spinning the tires, throwing dirt and gravel in the roadway. While the truck continued along the dead-end dirt road, Hutchinson could hear his engine accelerating as he was spinning out. After completing the traffic stop, he drove along the dirt road and observed several places in the roadway where the truck had spun out, causing ruts and throwing mud in the roadway. Hutchinson located the truck and observed it spinning its tires in a small mud hole. When asked why he was tearing up the roadway, the driver stated, “I just put new tires on my truck and wanted to see if they would spin out.” Hutchinson charged the man with destruction of state lands by a motor vehicle.
Officer Hutchinson was on foot patrol within the Blackwater State Forest. While patrolling near a creek and a recreation area, he saw a large group of people and spoke with them. He immediately observed a container, commonly used to conceal illegal narcotics, sitting on a chair. He located a plastic bag containing cannabis inside it along with a marijuana smoking pipe. While continuing his search, he discovered a marijuana cigarette inside an ice chest. Two men admitted ownership of the illegal items. Both men received the appropriate citations and were given a court date.
Lieutenant Hahr was observing a man and woman on the bank of a small creek in the Blackwater State Forest when the man suddenly began walking toward him. Hahr greeted the man who apparently didn’t recognize him immediately. As the man attempted to walk past him, Hahr saw a burning clump of cannabis fall to the ground. The man immediately handed the remainder of his cannabis cigarette to Hahr and received a notice to appear for possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis.
Officer Lewis was working in the Blackwater State Forest when he observed a large group of campers along Juniper Creek. Upon contacting the campers, he immediately discovered one of them in possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia. The man received a notice to appear for the violations.
Officers Cushing, Pettey and Land worked multiple days offshore in the Gulf of Mexico while aboard the NW Fincat. They were enforcing both state and federal marine fisheries regulations during the trips over Labor Day weekend. The crew conducted 45 offshore marine fisheries inspections, in which authorities found 16 vessels in violation of federal rules. Authorities cited the vessel captains for possession of gray triggerfish during a closed season. Additionally, authorities cited a Florida state charter vessel captain for operating a charter trip in federal waters without the proper federal permit.
Officers Cushing and Pettey responded to the report of a capsized vessel 30 miles offshore of Pensacola while aboard the NW Fincat. When they arrived on scene, a Good Samaritan vessel had already picked up the three subjects without injury. Officers took a report of the accident.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Marijuana possession, state lands destruction among FWC incidents