Marathon man arrested for lobster violations

Just a week before the two day sport lobster season, a Marathon man was arrested Tuesday night for possessing, spearing and wringing lobster tails.

Sheriff’s Office Marine Deputy Wilfredo Guerra saw 54 year old Timothy McGinnis in the water, on the bayside at the 60 mile marker, at the south end of the Toms Harbor Bridge at 8 p.m. The deputy, who was just two feet away from McGinnis on the shoreline, saw him using a spear gun to spear a lobster, then saw him wring the tail and put it in a yellow dive bag which contained more tails. As McGinnis speared a second lobster, Deputy Guerra tapped his dive tank and identified himself as a law enforcement officer.

McGinnis pushed away from the rocks and emptied his dive bag. At first, he refused to comply with the deputy’s orders to return to shore. After a few minutes, he returned to shore where he was taken into custody by Deputy Guerra.

A search of the area turned up evidence of McGinnis’ activities – a speared spiny lobster head he’d wrung from the tail. McGinnis admitted to the illegal activity, saying he was just trying to feed his family. He was charged with possession of speared spiny lobster, possession of wrung tails in the water, possession of spiny lobster in closed season and resisting an officer. He was booked into jail.