Fort Pierce resident Daniel Lawlor and Ashtyn Rance of Miami were handed several misdemeanor charges after a mix of 114 crabs and reptiles were found in the Dodge minivan the two were pulled over in at mile marker 23.5 bayside.
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| NOTHING TO SMILE ABOUT They killed this little lizard for no reason except he wasn't native to Florida and the 2 men did not have permits for him. |
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ken Fricke arrived scene and discovered the animals divided into separate bags and plastic containers.
FWC officers Jefferson Carroll and Matt Rubenstein were called to the scene and identified a red rat snake, 27 giant day geckos, 33 green iguanas and 37 land hermit crabs.
They also found 14 Cuban knight anoles (a type of lizard), one giant Jamaica anole and a large-headed anole.
Lawlor, 35, reportedly said the animals were caught on Summerland Key and were being taken to a wholesale business called Emerald Coral Reptiles to be sold. Emerald Coral & Reptiles is listed as a reptile supply store in Miami.
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| The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission killed all 76 reptiles whose only crime was that they weren't native to Florida and the 2 men who had them didn't have proper permits. |
Lawlor and Rance were charged with one misdemeanor each for not having a license to sell saltwater animals and transporting the animals without having required documents for where they were being taken; and two misdemeanor counts each for violating state law regulating the taking of the animals.
Rance was charged also with a misdemeanor count of personal possession of wildlife without a permit and was ticketed for driving without a license. Lawlor had an additional misdemeanor charge for possessing wild animals without a permit from the FWC to sell them.
They were booked into the county jail on Stock Island. Bond has not been set.
FWC spokesman Bobby Dube said the Giant Day Geckos, Green Iguanas and three species of Anoles (lizards) are not native to Florida so THEY KILLED THEM ALL.
The red snake and the hermit crabs were released back into the wild.
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| They killed this little lizard for no reason except he wasn't native to Florida and the 2 men did not have permits for him. |
This seems extreme. Although they're not native to Florida, they could have been sold via legal channels to people who would obtain the proper permits. This is my problem with Fish & Game people. They just kill things all the time for seemingly no good reason.
They killed 27 Giant Day Geckos.
They killed 33 Green Iguanas.
They killed 14 Cuban Knight Anoles (lizards).
They killed 1 Giant Jamaica Anole (lizard).
They killed 1 Large-Headed Anole (lizard).
SEVENTY-SIX ANIMALS KILLED BY THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION
The Lower Keys population of red rat snakes is considered a species of special concern by the FWC and live or dead specimens cannot legally be collected without a permit.
Dube said the arrests have prompted an investigation into the selling practices at Emerald Coral & Reptiles.
ARREST INFO:
Gender: Male
Birthdate: 05/19/1986
Block: 10300 Orange Ave
City: Fort Pierce, Florida 34945
Occupation: UNEMPLOYED
Arrest Age: 30
Date: 01/25/2017
Arresting Agency: Florida Fish and Wildlife
Arrest Location: US1 MM23.5 BAYSIDE, Monroe, FL
Location: Monroe County, Florida
Charges
#1 VIOL SALTWATER PRODUCTS LIC REGS
STATUTE: 379.361.2a ( Misdemeanor)
#2 VIOL SALTWATER PRODUCTS TRANSPORT REGULATIONS
STATUTE: 379.362.4 ( Misdemeanor)
#3 PERSONAL POSSESSION OF WILDLIFE WO PERMIT
STATUTE: 379.3762.1 ( Misdemeanor)
#4 VIOL FWC RULE OR ORDER LEVEL TWO
STATUTE: 379.401.2a ( Misdemeanor)
#5 VIOL FWC RULE OR ORDER LEVEL TWO
STATUTE: 379.401.2a ( Misdemeanor)
Gender: Male
Birthdate: 11/02/1981
Block: 19800 NE 12th Ave
City: Miami, Florida 33179
Occupation: UNEMPLOYED
Arrest Age:35
Date: 01/25/2017
Arresting Agency: Florida Fish and Wildlife
Arrest Location:MM 23.5 BAYSIDE CUDJOE KEY, US-1, Monroe, FL
Location: Monroe County, Florida
Charges
#1 VIOL SALTWATER PRODUCTS LIC REGS
STATUTE: 379.361.2a ( Misdemeanor)
#2 VIOL SALTWATER PRODUCTS TRANSPORT REGULATIONS
STATUTE: 379.362.4 ( Misdemeanor)
#3 POSSESS SELL WILD ANIMAL WO AUTHORITY
STATUTE: 379.3761.1 ( Misdemeanor)
#4 VIOL FWC RULE OR ORDER LEVEL TWO
STATUTE: 379.401.2a ( Misdemeanor)
#5 VIOL FWC RULE OR ORDER LEVEL TWO
STATUTE: 379.401.2a ( Misdemeanor)
September 2016
#1 POSSESSION OF HEROIN
STATUTE: 893.13-6a(Her)
BOND: $1000
#2 POSS CANNABIS 20 GRAMS LESS/ SYNTH CANN 3 GMS LESS
STATUTE: 893.13-6b
June 2015
#1 AGG ASSAULT W/ DEADLY WEAPON WITHOUT INTENT TO KILL
STATUTE: 784.021-1a
#2 DOMESTIC BATTERY BY STRANGULATION-DATING RELATION
STATUTE: 784.041-2a(HGD)
#3 TOUCH OR STRIKE/BATTERY/DATING VIOL
STATUTE: 784.03-1a1(HGD)
#4 PROBATION VIOLATION OR COMMUNITY CONTROL/FEL/MISD
STATUTE: 948.06
June 2012
#1 CAPIAS - MISD
STATUTE: CAP-MISD
BOND: $2000
NOTES: TRESPASS OTHER STRUCT/CONVEY
