LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three men have been sentenced for crappie fishing violations.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said Eugene Law, Freeman Law and Lawrence Law were convicted in related cases.
In September of 2015, local California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, wardens started receiving citizen complaints that Freeman Kwei Law, a resident of Paradise Cove in Lake County, was catching over-limits of crappie from Clear Lake and possibly selling them in the Bay Area, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said it is illegal to possess more than 25 crappie at a time, illegal to sell sport caught fish in California, and illegal to transport live fish from the waters where they are caught.
In September of 2015 wardens with the CDFW Special Operations Unit, with the assistance of local game wardens, began a surveillance operation into Freeman Law’s fishing activities, Hinchcliff said.
The lead warden in CDFW’s Special Operations Unit contacted the Lake County District Attorney’s Office. Hinchcliff, who handles the fish and wildlife prosecutions in Lake County, assisted wardens with obtaining a surveillance warrant for the operation and later search warrants.
Numerous CDFW wardens assisted in the undercover surveillance investigation from September 2015 to April 2016, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said the investigation involved Law’s illegal fishing activities in Lake County, as well as his activities in San Francisco, where he owned a second home.
During the operation, investigators also identified two other suspects in the illegal fishing activities, Lawrence Sil Law and Eugene Kwei Law, both relatives of Freeman Law and residents of San Francisco, Hinchcliff said.
During the months-long surveillance, Hinchcliff said investigators obtained evidence that Freeman Law gave some of the fish away as gifts, which is not illegal, but also that some of the fish were being sold illegally.
Hinchcliff said they also obtained evidence that Freeman Law was catching over-limits of crappie, possessed over-limits of crappie and was illegally transporting live crappie from Clear Lake.
On April 14, 2016, search warrants were served on three locations, including Freeman Law’s residences in Lake County and San Francisco, and Lawrence Law’s residence in San Francisco, Hinchcliff said.
Lawrence and Eugene Law were observed leaving Freeman Law’s residence at 5:30 a.m. and the three warrants were simultaneously served when they reached Lawrence Law’s residence at 8:20 a.m., according to Hinchcliff.
Lawrence and Eugene Law were found in joint possession of 169 crappie they had just transported from Clear Lake. Hinchcliff said Lawrence Law also had five crappie in his freezer and 12 crappie in a pond in his yard.
At Freeman Law’s residence in San Francisco warden’s found approximately 100 crappie in his freezer, while at his residence in Lake County wardens found 187 frozen crappie and 148 live crappie, Hinchcliff said.
In total, more than 600 crappie were located in the three locations and only 75 were legally possessed, according to Hinchcliff.
In addition, Hinchcliff said wardens seized Freeman Law’s Toyota truck and Boston Whaler fishing boat.
He said wardens also seized fishing equipment at Freeman Law’s residences, much of it in unopened packaging, including 57 fishing poles, 53 reels, ice chests, an under water camera, two trolling motors, terminal tackle, and hundreds of fishing lures. Wardens estimated the seized fishing equipment to be worth approximately $20,000.
On Oct. 3, 2016, Hinchcliff filed complaints against the suspects in the Lake County Superior Court, charging them with numerous fish and game violations occurring in Lake and San Francisco counties. Freeman and Lawrence Law also were charged with conspiracy to commit fish and game violations.
On Jan. 17, Eugene Law pleaded no contest to illegal possession of crappie, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said Eugene Law was placed on three years’ probation and fined $5,948. The probation can be terminated after one year if he pays the fine in full and does not violate probation.
On Feb. 24, Lawrence Law pleaded no contest to two counts of illegal possession. He was placed on three years’ probation and fined $5,520. Hinchcliff said the probation can be terminated after two years if he pays the fine in full and does not violate probation.
On Feb. 24, Freeman Law pleaded no contest to two counts of illegal possession and one count of unlawful sale of crappie. He was placed on 5 years’ probation, fined $30,138, and the fishing equipment valued at approximately $20,000 was ordered forfeited, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said the truck and boat will be returned. The probation can be terminated after two years if he pays the fine in full and does not violate probation.
The terms of probation for the Law’s include search conditions for fish and game violations, fishing license revocation and no fishing of any kind, they cannot be in the presence of anyone who is fishing, they can not possess any live fish, and they cannot possess any sport caught fish, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff and local wardens are planning on having the CDFW and the District Attorney’s Office work together to have the forfeited fishing equipment donated to a good cause in Lake County.
At this time, he said they are looking into donating to children who like to fish and who lost their possessions in the Valley fire or Clayton fire, to a local high school bass fishing club or some other similar project.