A Wisconsin man faces five criminal charges following his arrest by marine deputies on Friday morning for illegally harvesting lobster in the Florida Keys.
Thomas Michael Waidelich, 66, of Antigo, Wisconsin, was booked into jail Friday on the following charges: possession of undersized lobster, possession of lobster over the legal limit, harvesting lobster by spear, failure to possess a measuring device, and tampering with evidence.
The arrest took place at approximately 10 a.m. near Sunshine Key. Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Marine Deputy Louis Guiardinu observed Waidelich diving for lobster from a kayak without the required diver-down flag.
According to the arrest report, Waidelich failed to measure the lobsters he collected and was observed using a spear to harvest at least one. When deputies ordered him to paddle to the shoreline, Waidelich refused and paddled away from the deputy.
Investigators determined that Waidelich discarded a bag of harvested lobsters into nearby mangroves before deputies took him into custody. Following his detention, Waidelich admitted to disposing of the bag and acknowledged to law enforcement that he was aware he had exceeded the legal catch limit.
Authorities subsequently transported Waidelich to a local detention facility.
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