Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced on Jan. 15 the arrest of a Miami Lakes who allegedly poached an alligator in Collier County.
Vincent Edward Quinn, was charged with four misdemeanors and one felony for violations of Florida law related to the illegal harvest of an alligator.
According to FWC, a tip through the Wildlife Alert Hotline from an individual who witnessed a person take an alligator from Loop Road in Monroe County. The witness watched Quinn dump the alligator’s carcass and leave the area while still in possession of the tail.
FWC, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Miami Springs police officers partnered in a multi-county effort to locate Quinn and his vehicle. Officers located Quinn at his residence, where he admitted to illegally taking the alligator. The poached tail was being processed in Quinn’s backyard and was seized as evidence.
Taking an alligator outside of the designated hunting season and without the proper permits is illegal. For more information regarding alligator harvest, management and regulations, please visit MyFWC.com/Alligator.
The FWC takes wildlife violations very seriously and encourages the public to report any potential violations by downloading the FWC Wildlife Alert app, texting 847411 (Tip411) with keyword “FWC” and information about the violation, calling the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922), or submitting a tip online at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert[app.myfwc.com].
