By Kenneth C. Rossignol

ST. MARY’S TODAY

SOLOMON’S ISLAND — The Maryland Natural Resources Police report that they nabbed a boat load of poor sportsmen on board the Stoney’s Kingfisher at the dock in Solomon’s Harbor, according to NRP spokesman Sgt. Ken Turner, and the charges were vigorously denied by the owner, while criminal records of the captain of the boat reveal a long line of charges dumped in Calvert Courts.

The owner of the charter boat Stoney’s Kingfisher and Solomon’s premier seafood restaurants, Jeanie Cousineux-Stone says the charges are outrageous, that the fish in question were purchased that day from a seafood supplier, that she had the receipts for the purchase and that her company has never provided free fishing trips in order to influence easy treatment for her captain.

The six members of the fishing party on December 17th are charged with violating Maryland laws in a variety of ways that a group on a charter fishing vessel with an experienced captain should not allow.

Police say that on Wednesday, Dec. 17th at 11 am, the NRP police charged the six men with having 20 Rockfish, or striped bass, with some of them having already been filleted aboard their charter boat.

Filleting the fish in advance is an attempt to hide the evidence of violating the daily limits on Rockfish.

But when the charterboat is owned by Solomon’s premier seafood restaurant, Stoney’s Kingfisher, it makes sense that the fresh fish are cleaned and ready for serving to customers. The restaurant offers fresh fish on their menu at market prices. It is commonplace for a serving of about 6 ounces of Rockfish to sell for $20 or more.

The following individuals were charged with exceeding the daily recreational catch limit for striped bass and failure to land striped bass dockside as a whole fish: David D. Scott, 37, Lyndon D. Flora Sr., 49, Lyndon D. Flora Jr. 25, William A. Wroten, 27, Nicholas P. Hoffman, 24, all of Lusby and Joseph G. Hawk, 38, of Greenbelt.

"The fish that the DNR took from us were purchased by us from Eddie Goodwin Seafood and we buy about 250 pounds a week from them and we always have our receipts, we had them that day and provided those receipts to teh officers," Stone told ST. MARY’S TODAY. "They are filleted and come in with the skin on and were not on the boat but delivered that day to the restaurant."

"We are active in conservation efforts in Calvert County and the Chesapeake Bay and these charges are not only outrageous but slanderous," said Stone.

Stone said that the DNR police went to her supplier’s offices to check their records of deliveries as well.

"We will be supplying the receipts in to the Judge in court and we will seek vindication, we work very hard to provide a well-run establishment that our customers like and contributes to Calvert County," said Stone.

Stone said that her business has never provided free charter boat trips to local court officials in exchange for lenient treatment of Capt. David Scott.

"My husband and I had Judge Riddle and his wife on our personal boat for a trip to Broomes Island one time years ago but there was not any issue of one hand washing the other," said Stone.

Stone said that she was upset that Scott had taken the boat out without authorization on Dec. 17th and that type of thing can happen from time to time but they were not out fishing for the purpose of supplying the restaurant.

Scott, like many local watermen, have constant run-ins with the law but Scott’s criminal charges appear to be working in his favor more often that not.

Scott filed a guilty plea to spotlighting in Calvert County on Jan. 2, 2000 and was assessed a fine of $980 with $800 of that amount suspended. A charge of having a loaded weapon in the vehicle while casting light over fields was dropped by the Calvert County States Attorney.

In 2001, assault charges filed against Scott by the Maryland State Police resulted in the charges being dropped by the State’s Attorney.

In 2003, the Natural Resources Police again charged Scott with spotlighting and this time Scott got very lucky again in court and got off without a fine and his charges put on the stet docket.

In 2003, a protective order in connection with a domestic violence case was granted by the District Court against Scott. Three times that year he was charged with violating the ex-parte order but each time the charges were reduced by a plea agreement to the stet docket.

Also in 2003, a charge of making obscene phone calls was also dropped as part of a plea agreement which resulted in the charges being put on the stet docket.

In August of 2006 Scott was charged with being part of a fight, malicious property destruction, disorderly conduct and second degree assault. Once again all charges against him were dropped by the State’s Attorney making his attorney Larry Cumberland perhaps the finest defense attorney in all of Maryland. Or it could be that Scott takes the Judges and States Attorney’s out for free charter fishing trips, as Stone acknowledged that there are times that the boat has gone out without authority.

Hoffman also has had a variety of drug charges, drunk driving and driving while suspended charges against him with most of them also receiving lenient treatment in the form of stet docket or being dropped by the Calvert States Attorney. He did receive a 60 day sentence in one criminal charge but that sentence was reduced to 30 days.

The Stoney’s Kingfisher is a charter boat operated by the popular restaurant of the same name at Solomon’s and the same firm operates Solomon’s Pier and Stoney’s at Broomes Island. The restaurant is famous for it’s crabcakes and often has people standing in line to get in all of their locations.

A court date of Feb. 9 has been scheduled for the six individuals in Calvert County District Court.

A call requesting comment from Sgt. Ken Turner as to why the NRP police filed charges if they were provided receipts for the purchase and why that information, if true, was not included in the press release, was not returned prior to press deadline.

The relationships between the Natural Resources Police and local restaurants and watermen has been volatile over the years with a knockdown fight taking place between the owner of Abners Crabhouse at Chesapeake Beach in the Calvert Courthouse when several officers decided to apprehend the business owner on outstanding violations as he stood near an elevator.

A NRP police captain was convicted of taking a $50,000 bribe from a St. Mary’s County waterman in return for ignoring an illicit rockfish scheme.

Waterman routinely run afoul of fishing, oystering and crabbing laws, under report or never report income, while NRP police are thinly staffed to handle the responsibilities of enforcing Maryland’s chaotic and changing regulations.