BUSTED !!!!!!!!!

[pheasantman2121]

This from Fox 9 News

An Otsego man faces a $3,000 fine and up to a year in jail after a conservation officer with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources found him more than 400 fish over the daily limit.

Chien Van Tran, 39, faces a gross misdemeanor for being 413 sunfish and 30 crappies over the legal limit. The restitution value for the fish is $2,015. Tran could lose his fishing privileges for three years if convicted. His initial court date is in Wright County Court May 30.

State Conservation Officer Rick Reller of Buffalo saw Tran place a bag of fish in a locked compartment of his boat before leaving Pelican Lake in Wright County April 4.

"I asked how fishing was and if he had any fish onboard the boat," said Reller. "He stated the fishing was ‘okay' and he showed me a cooler with approximately a dozen panfish in it."

Tran said "no" to multiple inquiries about other fish on the boat. H eventually admitted that there were about 100 more fish on board. The on-board total was 134 sunfish and 19 crappies. The state daily/possession limit is 20 sunfish and 10 crappies.

Reller asked Tran he possessed any more fish at his home. With Tran's permission, Reller found a freezer full of 11 bags of fish -- containing 299 sunfish and 21 crappies --bringing the total number to 413 sunfish and 30 crappies over the legal limit.

"I told Mr. Tran that I would be seizing all the fish," Reller said. "I also advised him that I was seizing his boat, motors, trailer, and fishing license as part of a gross misdemeanor over limit of fish."

Anyone witnessing a fishing or wildlife violation is encouraged to contact the nearest conservation officer, law enforcement agency or the toll-free Turn-In-Poacher (TIP) hotline at 800-652-9093. Also, #TIP is available to most cell phone users in Minnesota.