Delaware Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Hunting Violations
OutdoorHub 02.14.12
A Georgetown man pled guilty to and was fined on Feb. 10 for multiple hunting violations following an investigation by Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement agents.
Christopher M. Calpo, age 18, of Georgetown, entered a guilty plea in Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown for two counts each of carrying a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, hunting from a motor vehicle, possession of unlawfully taken game (snow geese) and shooting near a roadway, and one count each of using prohibited shot and prohibited method of take (using toxic shot in a 22-caliber rifle). The charges stemmed from two separate incidents that occurred on Jan. 31 near Lewes and Feb. 9 near Milton.
Calpo was fined a total of $1,125 and given 100 hours of community service with a suspended sentence of two months’ jail time. In addition, his hunting license was revoked for one year and he forfeited a 22-caliber rifle and ammunition, plus two neck bands and one leg band from illegally-taken snow geese.
“First and foremost, this case was a matter of ensuring public safety. Hunting near a roadway and shooting from a vehicle pose a hazard to the public,” said Sgt. Gregory Rhodes of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement. “The defendant also was using an illegal weapon and ammunition to hunt waterfowl, and confessed that he was specifically targeting birds that had been federally banded.”
