Uthmeier announces arrests in alleged massive sea life poaching ring

State officials announced criminal charges Monday against 10 individuals in an alleged poaching conspiracy involving overfishing of reef fish including grouper, redfish, and snapper, plus protected sea turtles, including hatchlings.

The arrests followed an investigation that began in 2022, when a party to the alleged scheme approached an undercover officer, Attorney General James Uthmeier said during a news conference in Carrabelle.

Participating agencies included the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Office of Statewide Prosecutor, and local law enforcement.

The suspects are from an area stretching from Florida’s Big Bend region to Tampa Bay, according to authorities. The haul allegedly ran to approximately 23,000 pounds of fish and sales totaled more than $150,000 worth of fish, shrimp, and turtles. That harmed legitimate commercial and recreational fishermen, law enforcement said.

The more serious charges include racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and unlawful possession or sale of marine turtles. Potential sentences on these charges range between 65 and 75 years, Uthmeier’s office said.

Still, Uthmeier said he plans to ask the Legislature to boost penalties for poaching.

“A lot of the poaching laws on the books today are just misdemeanors. Yes, people trespassing, having firearms on private land, there’s going to be other crimes involved,” he said.

“But if you’re bringing a rifle out and you’re shooting near a dwelling where families are living, illegally poaching at night, you need to be charged with a third-degree felony. If you’re in close proximity to people, you need to be looking at more than five years behind bars, for sure.”

The matter “started as something that seemed like a much more minor offense — just some small-scale poaching of some reef fish. And then, all of a sudden, you realize it’s more than just a couple of actors here — you’ve got over a dozen people engaged in a statewide network to sell the harvest illegally, violating multiple state laws up and down much of North Florida,” Uthmeier said.

Appointed to his office by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025, Uthmeier is seeking election in his own right against Democratic former state Sen. José JavÍer Rodriguez.