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Last updated on Wednesday, August 12, 2015
(DETROIT LAKES, Minn.) - Six people from Bedford are facing charges for taking hundreds of fish over the limit allowed on a Minnesota lake.
The state Department of Natural Resources says an anonymous tip led investigators to Upper Cormorant Lake in Becker County. They determined the five men and one woman had exceeded their limit of sunfish and crappies by 676 fish.
DNR Conservation Officer Bill Landmark says the evidence was seized from freezers inside the group's cabins.
Summoned into court were 78-year-old Clifford Emmons; 54-year-old Anthony Emmons; 58-year-old Gregory Emmons; 32-year-old Ryan Emmons; 42-year-old Chad Wright and 40-year-old Amanda Wright, all of Bedford. There were also six children who were fishing.
District Judge Joe Evans issued a summons for all of them to appear in court on August 31.
If convicted, the six could be ordered to pay a fine, plus $5 restitution for each fish and lose their fishing license for three years. That means that, if convicted, they will pay a combined $3,380 in restitution to the DNR. That's in addition to any fines or other action that could be meted out by the court.
"It's not very often that we come across that many fish," Landmark says. "There are maybe only a handful of those situations a year."
All six adults had valid nonresident fishing licenses, but the kids did not. So there was some confusion among the party about how many fish they could take, Landmark said.
"I think they were aware they were over the limit, but not how much over the limit they were," Landmark added.
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