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Cpl. Casey Zolper of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Honored by MADD
  Cpl. Casey Zolper of DNREC’s Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section was among Delaware law enforcement officers honored with a certificate of appreciation by the Delaware chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) in a recognition ceremony May 8 at Dover Downs.
Each year, MADD Delaware recognizes officers from police agencies throughout the state for their work in DUI prevention, outreach and enforcement; this is the first year a Fish and Wildlife Enforcement agent has been honored.
In 2008, Cpl. Zolper made eight arrests for boating under the influence (BUI, also known as operating under the influence, or OUI). This year so far, he has made three OUI arrests and one DUI, and has earned certification as a DUI instructor from the National Highway Safety Administration. In July he will train for certification as an OUI instructor.
Cpl. Zolper was also named the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Officer of the Year for the second year in a row. In 2008, Cpl. Zolper put in 840.5 boating enforcement hours, and his record included 3,906 contacts, 430 boardings, 195 arrests and seven search and rescues.
Cpl. Zolper joined Fish and Wildlife Enforcement in 2000 and graduated from the Delaware State Police Academy the following year. In 2006, after researching other state fish and wildlife K-9 programs, he took on and trained with a new partner: Warden, a Labrador retriever, Delaware’s first canine Fish and Wildlife Enforcement officer.
He is also noted for his knowledge of state and federal fishery laws and regulations, OUI law and expert finfish identification. After graduating from the Anne Arundel County SWAT school with four other Enforcement officers in 2007, the Lewes resident serves on Delaware’s marine tactical response team. In 2008, he also logged nearly 250 hours of training.
Four New Castle County Men Arrested on Waterfowl Violations
Fish and Wildlife Enforcement agents on Jan. 10, arrested four New Castle County hunters for multiple waterfowl violations.
Robert K. Horkey, age 43, of 20 Leader Drive, Newark; Paul F. Hackman, age 45, of 701 Faun Road, Berkley Farms, Newark; and Carl B. Horkey, age 40, of 206 Curtis Avenue, Wilmington, were arrested. Each was charged with the following: two counts of unlawfully taken game, possession of game over the limit, and two counts of breasting out (partial butchering) geese while still in the field, a violation of the Delaware Code as adopted from federal law.
The fourth hunter, Todd A. Breisch, age 33, of 46 Rambo Terrace, Rambleton Acres, New Castle, was arrested and charged with two counts of breasting out geese while still in the field. The birds were seized as evidence, and all four men were issued fines and released.
To report violations of Delaware’s fish and wildlife laws, please call 302-739-4580 or 800-292-3030.
Newark Man Guilty of Illegally Killing 9-Point White-tailed Deer 
Fish & Wildlife enforcement agents, working in collaboration with the Newark Police Department, arrested a Newark man Nov. 16 who later admitted to having killed a 9-point antlered deer at night with a .45-caliber pistol.
Eric B. Schneider, age 24, of 23 Dunbar Road, pleaded guilty three days later in Justice of the Peace Court 9 to hunting at night, hunting without a license (second offense), and killing an antlered deer illegally. He was fined $1,734 and released. The deer was donated to Delaware’s Sportsmen Against Hunter Program for venison.
The deer was shot with the handgun in a small field near abandoned housing at the west end of Terrace Drive in Newark. A security guard notified Newark Police after he heard a shot and got the tag number of a vehicle leaving the scene. After the police went to Schneider’s residence, they notified Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Sgt. John Webb, who returned to the area where the shot was fired and found the 9-point buck.
F&W Agents Arrest Three Near Hartly on Hunting-Related Charges
Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Agents on Nov. 8 arrested two Kent County men and a juvenile in the Hartly area near Fords Corner Road on numerous hunting-related violations.
Oliver W. Hackendorn, age 21, of 2161 Everetts Corner Road, Hartly, was arrested and charged with third degree conspiracy, two counts of hunting from a motor vehicle, two counts of hunting during a closed season, two counts of spotlighting, two counts of carrying an unlawfully loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, two counts of shooting near a roadway, two counts of hunting on Sunday, possession of unlawfully taken game, possession of unlawfully killed antlerless deer, failure to check antlerless deer, and failure to attach deer tag to antlerless deer.
Aaron Hayes, 18, of 200 Clayton Avenue, Clayton was arrested and charged with third degree conspiracy, two counts of hunting from a motor vehicle, two counts of hunting during a closed season, two counts of spotlighting, two counts of hunting on Sunday, possession of unlawfully taken game, possession of unlawfully killed antlerless deer, failure to check antlerless deer, and failure to attach deer tag to antlerless deer.
A single shot 20-gauge shotgun, a 1996 Ford pickup and a spotlight were seized for evidence and possible forfeiture. Hackendorn and Hayes were taken to Justice of the Peace Court No. 7 in Dover and released, pending trial in Kent County Superior Court at a later date.
The third defendant, a juvenile, was arrested on the same charges as Hayes, with the case pending in Family Court.
Milton Men Arrested on Multiple Hunting- and Drug-Related Charges
After making a suspicious vehicle stop, Sussex County Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Agents arrested two Milton men Oct. 25 on multiple charges related to illegal hunting activities. Additional charges were added following execution of a search warrant on the home of one of the suspects.
Calvin J. Harris, age 28, of 27429 Martins Farm Road, Milton, was arrested and charged with four counts of possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, third degree conspiracy, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, hunting deer during a closed season, hunting from a motor vehicle, illegal hunting at night by spotlighting, possession of an unlawfully loaded firearm, two counts of failure to attach required deer tag, shooting near a roadway, possession of unlawfully taken game, unlawful possession of killer traps and two counts of failure to check antlerless deer. Two 12-gauge shotguns and a .50-caliber muzzleloader were seized as evidence.
Harris was taken to Justice of the Peace Court No. 3 in Georgetown and released on $14,500 unsecured bond, pending a Superior Court trial.
Stephen L. Scarfo, 41, of 27409 Martins Farm Road, Milton, was arrested and charged with third degree conspiracy, hunting deer during a closed season, illegal hunting at night by spotlighting, possession of an unlawfully loaded firearm, two counts of failure to attach required deer tag, possession of unlawfully taken game, two counts of transporting unlawfully killed deer, two counts of failure to check antlered deer, two counts of failure to attach required deer tag to antlered deer and unlawful method of take hunting wildlife with longbow or shotgun. One four-point antlered skull cap, two antlered deer heads, one nine-point and one eight-point, and a Winchester 30/30 rifle were seized as evidence, along with a 2003 Chevy 2500 pickup truck.
Scarfo was taken to Justice of the Peace Court No. 3 in Georgetown and released on $9,800 unsecured bond, pending a Superior Court trial.
Deer decoy, drag marks through ravine lead to illegal hunting arrests
Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Agents recently made four arrests for hunting-related violations, two of them involving a decoy deer that did its job all too well. After receiving a report from citizens who observed spotlighting near the Seagrass development in Dagsboro, agents put the Enforcement Section's decoy deer to work in the area.
On Oct. 10, agents arrested Adam M. Majchrzak, age 28, of 34875 Cherry Log Lane, Dagsboro and charged him with three counts of illegal hunting by spotlighting, three counts of hunting out of season, hunting from a motor vehicle and carrying an unlawfully loaded firearm in a motor vehicle. A 12-guage shotgun and a .22 caliber rifle were seized in connection with the charges. A trial is pending in Superior Court in Georgetown.
Agents later made a second arrest in a case, arrresting John M. Bush, 20, of the same Dagsboro address, and charged him with illegal night hunting by spotlighting, hunting out of season, hunting from a motor vehicle and carrying an unlawfully loaded firearm.
Mr. Bush was taken to Justice of the Peace Court No. 3 in Georgetown, where he pled guilty to all charges, paid a fine of $1,132 and lost his hunting license for two years.
In the second incident, following a short investigation based on information from concerned citizens in the Milton area, agents on Oct. 14 arrested Daniel R. Hardings, 18, of 789 Cicada Lane, Milford, and charged him with third degree criminal trespass, hunting at night, hunting from a motor vehicle, three counts of hunting out of season and shooting near a roadway. Agents seized a 22 caliber rifle and ammunition.
Mr. Hardings was taken to Justice of the Peace Court No. 3 in Georgetown for arraignment, and the case was transferred to Superior Court for trial at a later date.
A third arrest came after Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Agents responded to a report of hunters dragging a deer across the property of the Ferris School for Boys in Wilmington. Following drag marks into a wooded ravine, agents observed the suspect in the act of gutting a deer.
Lawrence T. Colatriano, 38, of 1308 Kenwood Road, Wilmington, was arrested and charged with hunting on a refuge, trespassing to hunt, possession of unlawfully taken deer and possession of untagged deer. He was taken to Justice of the Peace Court No. 9 in Middletown, where he pled guilty to the charges and paid a fine of $314.50.
"All these arrests were the result of citizens being involved and being good witnesses. We encourage citizens to report wildlife crimes - and when they do, poachers will be arrested," said Fish and Wildlife Enforcement spokesman Sgt. Gregory Rhodes. |
