Florida Man's Super Bowl Supper Lands Him in Jail

A 30-year-old Florida man’s Super Bowl spread may have made mouths water, but its cost was a trip to jail.

Richard Nixie of DeBary was jailed Sunday after officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission learned he trapped and killed five alligators in time for the big game, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Nixie, the paper reported, did so without a proper tag and managed to bag only small gators for the meal, all under 5 feet in length.

When questioned about his spread, Nixie admitted to catching the alligators and cutting off their tails to serve up as the Patriots and Seahawks faced off, the Palm Beach Post reported.

See Also:

• 765-Pound Monster Gator Bagged in Florida
• Protesters: Gator Hunt is ‘State-Sponsored Animal Killing’

While alligator hunts are legal in the state of Florida, they are heavily regulated by wildlife officials. A limited entry permit is required for those wishing to take part in the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program. Even with proper licensing, trappers are only allowed to harvest two alligators per permit, according to the FWC website.

Florida’s alligator harvest season also ended on Nov. 1, 2014, putting Nixie’s alleged game-day catch way out of bounds on a number of counts.

Nixie was ultimately charged with taking an alligator without a proper tag. He was booked into the Volusia County Jail Sunday and later released on $500 bond.

Photo credit: Richard Nixie/Volusia County Jail

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