Duo Caught With Forged Fishing Licenses in Meriden

A pair of Connecticut residents turned themselves in to state police Wednesday on warrants charging them with forging fishing licenses.

Kelly Shemeth, 24, of Berlin and Bradford Benton, 47, of Shelton, were each charged with second-degree forgery, conspiracy to commit second-degree forgery and fishing without a license, according to Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) spokesman Dennis Schain.

During a fishing enforcement patrol along the Quinnipiac River in Meriden on April 18, a DEEP Environmental Conservation (ENCON) police officer observed Benton and Shemeth actively fishing. The officer approached the two to conduct a fishing compliance check and observed that their fishing licenses did not appear to conform with the type of document now in use, Schain said.

A check of records revealed that neither Shemeth or Benton had purchased valid 2016 fishing privileges, and the document they had was similar in format to an old 2011 fishing license, Schain said.

The ENCON officers applied for warrants for the arrest of both ​Shemeth and Benton ​and they were issued by Meriden Superior Court. Both turned themselves in Wednesday at the Connecticut State Police Barracks Troop A in Southbury, Schain said.

Each was released on a court-ordered $1,000 surety bond. They are scheduled to appear in Meriden Superior Court June 14.

Photo credit: Riley Willcox via flickr creative commons