Florida officials charge 10 in illegal fishing and turtle poaching ring

Ten individuals face criminal charges following a multiyear undercover investigation into an illegal commercial fishing and poaching operation along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The group is accused of selling more than $150,000 worth of fish, shrimp, and protected sea turtles.

According to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the operation involved harvesting red snapper and gag grouper in excess of legal limits. To evade reporting requirements, the defendants allegedly conducted nighttime dockside sales, transactions from private homes, and handoffs on the water.

The investigation, which began in May 2022 following complaints of reef fish poaching, escalated when a suspect attempted to sell illegally caught fish to an undercover officer. Three suspects, including Terry Stephen Carrington Jr., Anthony Emmett Folsom, and Jordan Neylan, are specifically accused of selling three adult sea turtles and two hatchlings to undercover agents.

Defendants, ranging in age from 20 to 68, face charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, cheating, and the unlawful possession or sale of marine turtles.