Pine Island man sentenced in case of stone crabs taken from other's traps

Michael Braun, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read
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A Pineland man found guilty of illegally harvested stone crab claws was sentenced August 3..
A Pineland man found guilty of illegally harvested stone crab claws was sentenced August 3..

A Pine Island man facing multiple charges of harvesting stone crab and other species from traps that weren't his got two years probation and credit for a one-day jail sentence.

Steve Harry Long, 65, of Pineland, withdrew a not guilty plea and pleaded no contest Aug. 3 in early resolution court before Senior Circuit Judge Thomas Reese.

Long faced 16 conservation law violations including multiple counts of molestation of stone crap traps without consent of the owner, possession of egg-bearing female stone crabs, possession of undersized sheepshead and blue crab trap molestation.

A dead female, egg-bearing stone crab found by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers that was allegedly illegally harvested by a Pineland man April 2
A dead female, egg-bearing stone crab found by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers that was allegedly illegally harvested by a Pineland man April 2

Of those charges Long was found guilty on six counts including violation of salt water products, possession of undersized sheepshead, possession of undersized crab claws, egg-bearing female stone crab on vessel, blue crab trap molestation and molesting blue crap trap line buoy without permission.

Ten other charges were not prosecuted by the state attorney's office.

Long was sentenced to one day in jail on the charges involving the crabs, crab claws and fish to be served concurrently and credited with one day served.

He received 12 months state probation on the two charges involving molestation of traps and trap buoy lines to be served concurrently. Long was also ordered to perform 25 hours community service and have no contact with the five victims.

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Florida Wildlife Commission officers searched his boat April 2 at the Barrancas Avenue boat ramp on Bokeelia, finding the stone crab claws and other items believed illegal.

Court documents revealed FWC officers found more than two-and-a-half dozen stone crab traps on Long's boat with five listed as his. The rest were tagged with another commercial fisherman's state endorsement number.

Undersized sheepshead found by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers that was allegedly illegally harvested by a Pineland man April 2.
Undersized sheepshead found by Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers that was allegedly illegally harvested by a Pineland man April 2.

The rightful owners of the traps told FWC officers that Long had not been given permission to pull the traps.

Long's case qualified for Lee County's Early Resolution Court because of the nonviolent nature of the charges.

Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida man who stole crabs from other people's traps sentenced