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Florida man who shot and poisoned dolphins sentenced to 1 month

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Florida man who shot and poisoned dolphins sentenced to 1 month


A Florida man who shot dolphins attracted to baited fishing lines cast from boats he operated was sentenced to 30 days in prison and one year of supervised release.

Zackery Brandon Barfield, 31, not only shot the bottlenose dolphins but also used poisoned bait after growing frustrated that they were eating from his charter fishing clients, according to prosecutors, who said the crimes happened in 2022 and 2023.

Prosecutors and federal law enforcement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Barfield shot at five dolphins, killing at least one, and used poisoned bait on dozens more during outings from Panama City.

“He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway — once in front of children,” federal environmental prosecutor Adam Gustafson said Friday in a statement.

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Barfield’s attorney in the case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

Barfield opened fire while two elementary school-aged children were on board and, separately, while more than a dozen fishermen were on board boats he operated, prosecutors said.

He used poisoned bait even more prodigiously, they said.

“Barfield fed an estimated 24–70 dolphins poison-laden baitfish on charter trips that he captained,” NOAA Fisheries said in a separate statement Friday.

NOAA Fisheries said it launched an investigation into Barfield in 2023 after one of its law enforcement agents received a tip that he was killing dolphins.

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In an agreement with federal lawyers in which he pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal taking of a marine mammal and one count of federally prohibited use of a pesticide, Barfield admitted the government’s narrative of his crimes is true, court documents show.

The statement Friday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida said Barfield was angered by dolphins dining on red snapper from his clients’ fishing lines.

NOAA Fisheries quoted the defendant as telling law enforcement he was “frustrated with dolphins ‘stealing’ his catch,’” the agency stated.

“He began placing methomyl inside baitfish to poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The pesticide was used on about a half-dozen outings, NOAA Fisheries alleged.

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“Barfield recognized methomyl’s toxicity and impact on the environment but continued to feed poisoned baitfish to the dolphins for months,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Barfield used a 12-gauge Remington Wingmaster shotgun to shoot the animals, prosecutors said. The mammals are off-limits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement seized the shotgun, which will be forfeited under the plea agreement, according to court documents.

Though Magistrate Judge Michael J. Frank sentenced Barfield to 30 days for each of three counts to which he pleaded guilty, he was ordered to serve time for each concurrently, or in a single, 30-day stretch, according to NOAA Fisheries.

He was also ordered to pay a $51,000 fine.

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Rainy stretch continues in South Florida

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Rainy stretch continues in South Florida


South Florida is experiencing a prolonged stretch of wet weather as deep tropical moisture combines with a stalled frontal boundary across the region.

The result has been frequent showers, thunderstorms, periods of heavy rainfall, and localized flooding concerns from Broward to Miami-Dade and throughout the Keys.

The atmosphere is loaded with moisture, allowing storms to produce intense downpours in a short amount of time.

Some neighborhoods have already seen several inches of rain, with additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms expected through the end of the week.

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Flood-prone streets and poor drainage areas remain especially vulnerable during the heaviest rainfall.

While the rain is helping ease drought conditions, it is also increasing the risk of flash flooding and travel delays.

South Florida is two weeks into its rainy season, when abundant heat and humidity combine to generate daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms.

Heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds are common features of this time of year.

The good news? Drier air will gradually filter into parts of the region heading into the weekend, allowing rain chances to slightly decrease. Until then, keep the umbrella handy and be prepared for sudden tropical downpours.

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Man accused of kidnapping woman at Wawa in Central Florida

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Man accused of kidnapping woman at Wawa in Central Florida


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A man is in custody after deputies said he tried to kidnap a woman at a Wawa near Winter park. Per investigators, Matthew Seaberg approached the victim from behind, picked her up by the waist, and threw her into his truck.



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Jury selection continues in fatal boat crash trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino

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Jury selection continues in fatal boat crash trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino


MIAMI — A new group of prospective jurors was questioned Tuesday in the trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino, who is charged in connection with a 2022 boat crash that killed a teenager in Miami-Dade County.

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During jury selection in a Miami-Dade courtroom, Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez asked potential jurors what they already knew about the case and whether they had recently seen or heard anything about it.

Several prospective jurors said they knew only basic details, including that a fatal boating crash occurred and that a teenage girl died. Others said they recalled media reports that alcohol may have been involved.

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As questioning continued, some prospective jurors disclosed connections to schools and communities tied to the case.

Passengers aboard Pino’s boat included his wife, his teenage daughter and 11 of her friends, many of whom attended private schools in Miami-Dade County.

One prospective juror said they graduated from a local private school around the time of the crash and were familiar with some of the students involved.

Another said references to schools and witnesses brought back memories of seeing posts and articles about the incident shared on social media.

A third said their child participates in youth sports with students from schools connected to the case.

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Investigators said the boat struck a channel marker while returning from an outing on Biscayne Bay. Seventeen-year-old Lourdes Academy student Lucy Fernandez drowned after the crash.

Tinkler Mendez also addressed concerns that a prospective juror had been viewing a news report about the case on a cellphone while waiting outside the courtroom.

Another prospective juror reported hearing the report but said it was not loud enough for everyone in the area to hear.

Tinkler Mendez reminded prospective jurors to avoid news coverage and social media discussions related to the case as jury selection continues.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.





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