Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents arrested a Port Sulphur man for alleged recreational fishing violations on Oct. 30 in Plaquemines Parish.
Agents arrested Jonathan K. Ragas, 54, for intentional concealment of fish and taking undersized red drum and booked him into the Plaquemines Parish jail.
Agents made contact with Ragas while on patrol in the Port Sulphur area near Azalea Drive. When agents approached Ragas he picked up a five-gallon bucket containing an unknown amount of red drum and threw them into the water. The agents quickly grabbed the bucket and found it still contained two red drum under the legal limit of 16 inches.
Agents also found that Ragas is currently on five years of probation after he pled guilty in 2014 to his sixth count of harvesting oysters from a polluted area and public intimidation of an LDWF agent.
Intentional concealment of fish carries a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Taking undersized red drum brings a $100 to $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail. Ragas may also be assessed civil restitution totaling $52.94 for the replacement value of the two red drum.
Agents participating in the case are Lt. Adam Young and Sgt. Villere Reggio.