Two men arrested for illegal lobster possession

Two Melbourne, Florida men were arrested Friday evening for a litany of lobster-related charges.

Middle Keys Marine Deputy Wilfredo Guerra was patrolling gulf side behind Coast Guard Station Marathon at 6:10 p.m. on a Yamaha WaveRunner provided to the Sheriff’s Office by Riva Motorsports & Marine of the Keys. Deputy Guerra observed two people in the water spearfishing without a dive flag. Deputy Guerra witnessed the two males swim over to an inflatable boat whereupon Deputy Guerra conducted a vessel stop.

The men were identified as Lance O’Conner Rossbach, 19, and Clay Matthew Kerr, 22, both of Melbourne, Florida.

Deputy Guerra asked to inspect their catch.

Kerr pulled five, wrung lobster tails from his short’s pocket. Three of the lobster were undersized. All of them had been speared.

Rossbach reached into his pocket and produced two, wrung lobster tails. One of the lobster were undersized. Both of them had been speared.

Both men were charged with possession of out-of-season lobster, undersized lobster, speared lobster, wrung lobster tails in the water and no measuring device in the water while harvesting lobster.

Both men were taken to jail.

The lobster tails were returned to the water.

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