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New Rochelle resident Lawrence McLoughlin was stopped by the Greenwich Police Department Marine Unit on Oct. 17 in his 24-foot center counsel boat for a safety inspection due to rough waters.
Police said that McLoughlin consented to stop and pulled his vessel toward a local dock for the inspection.
While he was en route to the dock, McLoughlin was spotted allegedly leaving the helm of the boat and throwing several bags of fish over the side of the boat.
McLoughlin initially claimed that he was throwing fish bait overboard. He was ultimately issued an infraction for an expired registration on his boat.
According to police, the Marine Unit searched the area where McLoughlin dumped the alleged bags of bait fish, and recovered several bags of no less than 14 blackfish, which is above the legal regulations of 10 fish per day. Investigators noted that several of the fish were smaller than the allowed minimum length.
McLoughlin turned himself into custody at approximately 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1. He was arrested and charged with interfering with officers, tampering with physical evidence, violation of sport fishing, failure to have a commercial fishing registration and littering on the water.
He is being held in a Greenwich Police Department holding cell in lieu of $75,000 bond. McLoughlin is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday to answer the charges.
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