Maryland man who abused a state and federally protected pelican, was found guilty of four charges

A Maryland man who abused a state and federally protected pelican, then bragged about it on Facebook through a video and other postings, was found guilty of four charges April 23 in Monroe County Court.

William Hardesty, 31, of Riva, Maryland, entered an open plea before County Court Judge Mark Wilson, who found him guilty of two counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and two counts of animal cruelty.

Lieutenant Joshua Peters with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission brought the charges after investigating after becoming aware of the Facebook postings. Assistant State Attorney Ryan Maher represented the state.

Judge Wilson sentenced Hardesty to 90 days in the Monroe County Detention Center (40 days credit for time served), fined him $1,000 and placed him on a year of probation.

The video was posted to Hardesty’s Facebook page the first week of March and apparently created March 5. It shows him at a Key West sea wall dangling food to the pelican. It then shows him jumping into the water onto the pelican and grabbing it and holding onto it. He let go only when the pelican bit him in the face.

The Facebook post of the video, met with widespread criticism, was followed by Hardesty posting he might want to eat a pelican and that he was thinking of getting a pelican tattoo. No word on whether he was able to get that tattoo since being housed in the Monroe County jail.

Hardesty’s attorney asked Judge Wilson for a sentence of jail time served, but Maher requested that Hardesty be sentenced to six months in jail followed by a year of probation, pointing out that Hardesty lacked remorse for his actions, respect for nature and respect for the laws of Florida as evidenced by Hardesty’s Facebook posts and comments.

Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Koenig issued an arrest warrant for Hardesty on March 13 and, acting on a tip, Maryland State Police arrested him on March 15 at a hotel in Ocean City, Maryland.

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