He was caught with undersized snappers. Now he’s facing jail time
A Monroe County judge convicted a Naples man on four misdemeanor fisheries violations, meaning he may have to spend up to 240 days in jail.
County Judge Sharon Hamilton convicted Humberto Hernandez, 39, of possession of undersized yellowtail snappers, undersized lane snappers and undersized mutton snappers, as well as being over the aggregate bag limit for any species of snapper.
Assistant State Attorney Taylor Loe said Florida Fish and Wildife Conservation Commission police officers caught Hernandez and two other men with a total of 43 snapper on Aug. 5, 2018, near Indian Key Fill in Islamorada.
The aggregate bag limit for snapper is 10 per person in a boat. Larry Kahn, State Attorney’s Office spokesman, said 18 mutton snappers were undersized, as well as 13 lane snappers and two yellowtails.
Monroe County State Attorney promised to be tough on people who violate conservation laws in the Keys. Each violation carries a maximum 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
The date of Hernandez’s sentencing was not immediately available. The cases against the other men on the boat — Yankiel Perez Valdez, 33, of Miami, and Leonel Ramon Bouza Roun, 46, of Hialeah — are pending, Kahn said.
This story was originally published August 28, 2019 at 12:04 PM with the headline "He was caught with undersized snappers. Now he’s facing jail time."