Latest news with #RemingtonWingmaster
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fisherman shot dolphin in front of children
A Florida fisherman shot a dolphin in front of children and began poisoning others because they were stealing his catch, a court heard. Zackary Barfield, 31, laced baitfish with pesticide and shot at dolphins from his boat in front of 'two elementary-aged children', prosecutors said on Friday. Barfield, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $51,000 for three counts of poisoning and shooting dolphins, according to federal prosecutors. The fisherman pleaded guilty to the charges in February and will remain on supervised release for a year following his stint behind bars. Federal prosecutors said that Barfield fed dolphins methomyl, a pesticide used to control insects in farming that can interfere with the nervous systems of mammals and humans. 'He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway — once in front of children,' said Adam Gustafson, a lawyer for the department of justice's environment and natural resource division. An investigation was launched into Barfield following reports that a Florida fisherman had been killing bottlenose dolphins between 2022 and 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement. Barfield used a 12-gauge Remington Wingmaster shotgun to shoot at least five dolphins, killing one, according to prosecutors. One of the shootings took place on a charter vessel with multiple witnesses present, according to NOAA. In a separate incident, he allegedly opened fire while two elementary school-aged children were on board. 'Based on evidence obtained in the course of the investigation, Barfield fed an estimated 24–70 dolphins poison-laden baitfish on charter trips that he captained,' NOAA said. 'He began placing methomyl inside baitfish to poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat,' the US attorney's office said. Barfield allegedly turned to killing dolphins after becoming frustrated that the highly intelligent mammals were 'stealing' red snappers from his clients' fishing lines. Dolphins are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Barfield pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal taking of a marine mammal and one count of federally prohibited use of a pesticide, court documents seen by NBC News show. He also allegedly admitted prosecutors' narrative about his crimes is true. Under the plea deal, Barfield will be forced to forfeit his shotgun, according to court documents. Over the past decade, at least 21 dolphins have been killed by gunshot wounds, explosives, arrows and other sharp objects along Florida's south east coast, according to NOAA data. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
New York Post
25-05-2025
- New York Post
Florida fisherman gets jail for shooting, poisoning dolphins in front of kids
A Florida charter boat captain was sentenced to one month behind bars after admitting he shot and poisoned dolphins — sometimes in front of young children, according to authorities. Zackery Brandon Barfield, 31, opened fire on 5 bottlenose dolphins with a shotgun during fishing trips in 2022 and 2023, and fed poisoned bait to dozens more of the marine mammals over his frustration that they were stealing fish from his fishing charter clients, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Florida said in a statement. Charter boat captain Zackery Brandon Barfield was sentenced to a month in prison after opening fire on five dolphins and poisoning several dozen more. NOAA Fisheries Advertisement Barfield, who was a boat captain in Panama City, even shot dolphins while two elementary school children were on board, and in another instance, while more than a dozen fishermen were aboard boats he operated, prosecutors said. The brutal spree left at least one dolphin dead and sickened dozens more that eat insecticide-tainted baitfish, authorities said. Barfield fed an estimated '24–70 dolphins poison-laden baitfish on charter trips that he captained,' during six to seven charter trips that he captained, NOAA Fisheries said in a statement. Advertisement 'He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway — once in front of children,' federal environmental prosecutor Adam Gustafson said Friday in a statement. Barfield wielded a 12-gauge Remington Wingmaster shotgun to shoot the mammals that are off-limits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. geraldmarella – The sicko fisherman pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal taking of a marine mammal and one count of federally prohibited use of a pesticide, according to court documents obtained by NBC News. Barfield admitted the government's narrative about his crimes was true, documents showed. Advertisement He also wielded a 12-gauge Remington Wingmaster pump-action shotgun to shoot the marine mammals, which are off-limits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, prosecutors said. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Frank sentenced Barfield to a month in prison for each of the three counts to which he pleaded guilty, to be served concurrently in a single stretch, according to NOAA Fisheries. He was also ordered to pay a $51,000 fine, authorities said.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Florida man who shot and poisoned dolphins sentenced to 1 month
A Florida man who shot dolphins attracted to baited fishing lines cast from boats he operated was sentenced to 30 days in prison and one year of supervised release. Zackery Brandon Barfield, 31, not only shot the bottlenose dolphins but also used poisoned bait after growing frustrated that they were eating from his charter fishing clients, according to prosecutors, who said the crimes happened in 2022 and 2023. Prosecutors and federal law enforcement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Barfield shot at five dolphins, killing at least one, and used poisoned bait on dozens more during outings from Panama City. 'He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway — once in front of children,' federal environmental prosecutor Adam Gustafson said Friday in a statement. Barfield's attorney in the case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. Barfield opened fire while two elementary school-aged children were on board and, separately, while more than a dozen fishermen were on board boats he operated, prosecutors said. He used poisoned bait even more prodigiously, they said. "Barfield fed an estimated 24–70 dolphins poison-laden baitfish on charter trips that he captained," NOAA Fisheries said in a separate statement Friday. NOAA Fisheries said it launched an investigation into Barfield in 2023 after one of its law enforcement agents received a tip that he was killing dolphins. In an agreement with federal lawyers in which he pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal taking of a marine mammal and one count of federally prohibited use of a pesticide, Barfield admitted the government's narrative of his crimes is true, court documents show. The statement Friday from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida said Barfield was angered by dolphins dining on red snapper from his clients' fishing lines. NOAA Fisheries quoted the defendant as telling law enforcement he was 'frustrated with dolphins 'stealing' his catch,'' the agency stated. "He began placing methomyl inside baitfish to poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The pesticide was used on about a half-dozen outings, NOAA Fisheries alleged. "Barfield recognized methomyl's toxicity and impact on the environment but continued to feed poisoned baitfish to the dolphins for months," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Barfield used a 12-gauge Remington Wingmaster shotgun to shoot the animals, prosecutors said. The mammals are off-limits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement seized the shotgun, which will be forfeited under the plea agreement, according to court documents. Though Magistrate Judge Michael J. Frank sentenced Barfield to 30 days for each of three counts to which he pleaded guilty, he was ordered to serve time for each concurrently, or in a single, 30-day stretch, according to NOAA Fisheries. He was also ordered to pay a $51,000 fine. This article was originally published on
NBC News
25-05-2025
- NBC News
Florida man who shot and poisoned dolphins sentenced to 1 month
A Florida man who shot dolphins attracted to baited fishing lines cast from boats he operated was sentenced to 30 days in prison and one year of supervised release. Zackery Brandon Barfield, 31, not only shot the bottlenose dolphins but also used poisoned bait after growing frustrated that they were eating from his charter fishing clients, according to prosecutors, who said the crimes happened in 2022 and 2023. Prosecutors and federal law enforcement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Barfield shot at five dolphins, killing at least one, and used poisoned bait on dozens more during outings from Panama City. 'He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway — once in front of children,' federal environmental prosecutor Adam Gustafson said Friday in a statement. Barfield's attorney in the case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. Barfield opened fire while two elementary school-aged children were on board and, separately, while more than a dozen fishermen were on board boats he operated, prosecutors said. He used poisoned bait even more prodigiously, they said. "Barfield fed an estimated 24–70 dolphins poison-laden baitfish on charter trips that he captained," NOAA Fisheries said in a separate statement Friday. NOAA Fisheries said it launched an investigation into Barfield in 2023 after one of its law enforcement agents received a tip that he was killing dolphins. In an agreement with federal lawyers in which he pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal taking of a marine mammal and one count of federally prohibited use of a pesticide, Barfield admitted the government's narrative of his crimes is true, court documents show. The statement Friday from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida said Barfield was angered by dolphins dining on red snapper from his clients' fishing lines. NOAA Fisheries quoted the defendant as telling law enforcement he was 'frustrated with dolphins 'stealing' his catch,'' the agency stated. "He began placing methomyl inside baitfish to poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The pesticide was used on about a half-dozen outings, NOAA Fisheries alleged. "Barfield recognized methomyl's toxicity and impact on the environment but continued to feed poisoned baitfish to the dolphins for months," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Barfield used a 12-gauge Remington Wingmaster shotgun to shoot the animals, prosecutors said. The mammals are off-limits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement seized the shotgun, which will be forfeited under the plea agreement, according to court documents. Though Magistrate Judge Michael J. Frank sentenced Barfield to 30 days for each of three counts to which he pleaded guilty, he was ordered to serve time for each concurrently, or in a single, 30-day stretch, according to NOAA Fisheries. He was also ordered to pay a $51,000 fine.
