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Striped Bass Poacher Threatens Witnesses
Baltimore, Maryland – Michael D. Hayden, Jr., a 41-year-old commercial fisherman from Tilghman Island, was arrested yesterday on charges of witness tampering and retaliation in connection with an investigation into the illegal harvesting of striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay.
The investigation, announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein, revealed that Hayden attempted to manipulate some witnesses’ testimony while trying to prevent others from cooperating with investigators.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Hayden is a licensed commercial fisherman who operates vessels on the Chesapeake Bay. Agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, and the Maryland Natural Resources Police learned that Hayden allegedly threatened to retaliate against a potential witness he believed was cooperating with investigators.
Hayden, if convicted, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of four counts of witness tampering and witness retaliation. He is scheduled to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today at 3:00 p.m.
Stealing striped bass and intimidating witnesses are crimes against our natural resources and against the citizens of Maryland, said Department of Natural Resources Secretary Joseph P. Gill. We are grateful for the partnership of law enforcement agencies and we thank our residents for coming forward and providing information to help us protect the public trust.
The case is being jointly prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Environmental Crimes Section of the United States. Mr. Rosenstein and Acting Assistant Attorney General Robert G. Dreher thanked the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for their work in the investigation and the United States Marshals Service for executing the arrest warrant.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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