Cape Cod oyster poaching cases cracked

[Soundbounder]

Police say they know who stole more than $40,000 in oysters and equipment from beds in East Dennis and Barnstable last summer, but they're not quite ready to publicly name the culprit.

Barnstable police Lt. Sean Balcom, who heads the Barnstable Street Crime Unit, called the anticipated end of the five-month investigation by multiple public safety agencies "the result of police work and the rewards" that were offered.

The street crime unit was tipped to the identity of the poacher by one of its informants, Balcom said.

Rewards totaling $2,000 are being offered to the tipster if the guilty party is caught.

"We've definitely identified somebody," Balcom said Monday. "We caught him red-handed and anticipate charging him in the next couple weeks.

"Where he sold the oysters is going to come as a pretty big surprise."

Christine Legere
Cape Cod Times
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pb...NEWS/401280332

[PaulS]

The police saw someone walking around with a bulge in their pants.

[Gary]

I'm figuring that they were sold to the Chinese..........
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[BEETLE]

Legal Seafood...

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by BEETLE

Legal Seafood...

Whoever bought them will have some huge customer base to be able to sell all of them. He is the bigger dirtbag. Can't wait to see this outcome.
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[Raven]

sounds good........

[Swimmer]

The cstmer for the stolen oysters has to be a big person. They are giving him time to lawyer up. But then again the grand jury takes a bit of time.

[FishermanTim]

the POTUS????


No,.....I know it was the Governor, as in GOTSOM

[Raven]

Gotsum City ..... i've heard of that

[Gloucester2]

GOTCOM

[BluesHarp]

Get-a-way photo of Oyster poacher.

Sammy-the-Way-Out-Seal-3.jpg

Cape Cod Mafia boss "Sammy the Seal".

[Jackbass]

He sold them in wellfleet famous for their oysters. Imagine being duped with Dennis Barnstable units the horror
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[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by BluesHarp

Get-a-way photo of Oyster poacher.

Attachment 58075

Cape Cod Mafia boss "Sammy the Seal".

Awesome
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[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

The cstmer for the stolen oysters has to be a big person. They are giving him time to lawyer up. But then again the grand jury takes a bit of time.

Usually only sits every other Friday, in Barnstable County. My wife had GJ duty two years ago.

[Swimmer]

If it wouldn't be slanderous, we could start a pole on who we think it eas that bought them.
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[Nebe]

Sounds like the work of bassmaster!
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[JackK]

Is it possible that the buyer didn't know the seed and equipment were stolen?

[Raven]

Originally Posted by Nebe

Sounds like the work of bassmaster!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

a much bigger fish.... i'd wager

[Rob Rockcrawler]

Any updates on this caper?

[lamigsb1]

Last info I got. Was they were found in a pond in Yarmouth. Police can't get to them at this time
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[Swimmer]

I thought the ID of the buyer and perps were going to be public, grand jury must still be sitting on the case. Or someone is trying to deal up.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[MakoMike]

So who is the alleged buyer?

[Soundbounder]

A West Yarmouth man has been indicted in the theft of more than $40,000 of oysters and equipment from beds off Dennis and Barnstable last summer.

And a well-known Sandwich restaurant owner pleaded guilty Friday to a charge of receiving stolen property in connection with the case.

Michael Bryant, 37, was indicted by a Barnstable County grand jury Friday on six counts of larceny of property, a shellfish sales violation, shellfishing a contaminated area and a commercial fishing license violation. Bryant will be arraigned “in the upcoming days” in Barnstable Superior Court, according to a statement from Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe.

“He's certainly been arrested many times,” Barnstable police Lt. Sean Balcom said of Bryant.

When Balcom said in January that the case was close to being solved, he noted that “where (the suspect) sold the oysters is going to come as a pretty big surprise.”

Joseph Vaudo, a 62-year-old Sandwich businessman who has owned Joe's Lobster Mart for more than 35 years, pleaded guilty Friday in Barnstable District Court to charges of receiving stolen property, willfully misleading police during an investigation and failure or refusal to file required statistical reports of wholesale and retail dealers.

Vaudo was ordered to pay $6,250 in fines and court costs.

Balcom, head of the department's detective unit, said Vaudo was uncooperative when questioned by police. “He denied having bought anything (from Bryant), he denied knowing Bryant and he denied Bryant came out of his business despite the fact we saw otherwise from the surveillance,” Balcom said.

Balcom added the restaurant owner's problems may be far more severe than the fine he was charged by the court. Vaudo is both a retailer and wholesaler. “He could face significant problems with his permits to buy shellfish and operate his business.”

Vaudo also leases his restaurant property on the Cape Cod Canal from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which can force him out at any time.

http://m.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs...emplate=wapart

.

[Swimmer]

Thanks for the update. If Vaudo is that brazen it only makes you wonder.
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[Guppy]

Never liked that place

[ProfessorM]

Joe's, really. I only sell fish to him as a last resort. Never a big fan, cheapo.

[JamesJet]

I assume a commercial oyster is 50 cents or so. That is a whole lotta shellfish. Amazing and glad they caught both the theif and at least one of the shady buyers.
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[Nebe]

Shellfish behavior from both parties.
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[Soundbounder]

Joe's Fish and Lobster Mart

http://joeslobstermart.com/index.htm