4 charged with stone crab fishing violations

On Tuesday, April 5, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers aboard the FWC’s offshore patrol vessel Fin Cat along with FWC aviation unit officers were jointly conducting an operation to monitor for stone crab vessels fishing in the closed areas of the Big Bend stone crab – shrimping zones.

The FWC aviation crew advised they had viewed a stone crab vessel in closed zone 2. That vessel began making circles in the area to retrieve their traps from the bottom, actively fishing their traps in a closed area.

“When the vessel crew of the Nauti Crab noticed our patrol vessel headed toward them, the crew dropped all of the stone crab gear to the bottom,” said Lt. Scott Smith. The captain stated they had broken down and just fixed their vessel. They insisted they had not been crabbing in that area.”

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Missing Inverness senior found safe

Inverness resident Michael Clarke (Courtesy photo)

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, March 12, reported that missing Inverness senior Michael Clarke has been found safe in Gainesville.

The 82-year-old Clarke was reported missing on March 10. He was last seen around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at his residence off of South Burr Terrace in Inverness.

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Lecanto teacher charged with lewd offenses

Adam Joseph Joerres (CCSO photo on May 21, 2021)

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) on Friday was contacted in reference to a Lecanto High School teacher sending lewd text messages and images to a student.

During the investigation, Detective Mission with the CCSO Special Victims Unit obtained evidence that revealed 33-year-old Adam Joseph Joerres had been engaging in inappropriate conversations of a sexual nature with a student through text messages spanning several months.

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Robbery suspect captured within 15 minutes of call


Anthony Lamar Wright

Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies on Sunday arrested 37-year-old Anthony Lamar Wright of Inverness for robbery with a firearm.

“We are extremely proud of both Deputy Anderson and Deputy Bostic, along with Sgt. Laborda, who worked to quickly apprehend this robbery suspect,” said Sheriff Prendergast.

“Within 15 minutes of this crime being reported, CCSO deputies had the suspect detained and ultimately solved this case.”

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Crystal River man arrested charged with aggravated battery

Brett Carver

During the early morning hours of Feb. 17, Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to a home in Crystal River after the occupants claimed to have been attacked by a suspect armed with a knife.

The suspect, 26-year-old Brett Carver, was later located by deputies at a local hospital where he was seeking treatment for wounds he had received from his own weapon during the attack.

Detectives Casalvieri and Bang with the Major Crimes Unit (MCU) responded to the hospital and began an investigation.

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