Monroe County judge jails fisherman over 30 lobster violation counts

A Monroe County judge sent Raidel Alvarez Perez, 52, to jail after he pleaded guilty to 30 lobster violations discovered during a routine resource check near Woman Key, about nine miles west of Key West. Judge Albert Kelley also ordered six months of probation, an FWC course and a $2,838 fine, turning a fisheries case into a criminal sentence that will follow Perez well beyond the dock.

Perez was adjudicated guilty after pleading to 16 counts of possessing wrung lobster tails on the water and seven counts of possessing undersized spiny lobster, along with additional violations that brought the total to 30. Kelley ordered the 30-day jail term to be served concurrently on the counts. The case began March 22, 2025, when two Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers approached a 40-foot commercial lobster boat during a resource check. Investigators said Perez, who was working as a mate aboard the vessel, allegedly tried to get rid of evidence as officers neared the boat.

The sentence lands in a fishery where the rules are clear and the stakes are high. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulations require spiny lobster to be landed in whole condition, and separating the tail from the body in state waters is prohibited. Commercial rules also bar possession of wrung tails in or on state waters unless a federal permit exception applies. State law says the lobster rules are meant to support the industry and conserve the stock that keeps it viable.

Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward has said his office is committed to preserving the Florida Keys’ natural resources, and that officers patrol waters, bridges and parks during lobster mini-season to enforce the laws. Florida’s commercial and recreational spiny lobster season runs from August 6 through March 31, and Monroe County has special local restrictions in some areas and time periods, including around mini-season. The case is part of a pattern of enforcement that keys boat crews know well: FWC officers regularly check catches, gear and deck conditions for compliance, especially in the South B enforcement region that includes Monroe County.

For law-abiding fishermen, the sentence underscores that repeated violations are not being treated as technical mistakes. Near Woman Key, in one of the county’s most heavily patrolled fishing grounds, repeated illegal possession of wrung tails and undersized lobster brought jail time, probation and a public conviction in the heart of the Keys’ signature fishery.