April 1, 2012 –A generations-old fishing family from Amagansett on Monday will call for lawmakers to investigate the practices of state fisheries enforcement agents and audit a multi-million-dollar fund of fines and proceeds from seizures — actions they charge are unconstitutional.
Paul and Kelly Lester of the centuries-old Lester fishing clan will appear with their lawyer Daniel Rodgers of Riverhead to file a formal request with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state legislators requesting the probes in the wake of a raid on the Lester home last year, Rodgers said.
The Lesters were charged with illegal possession of fluke and porgies, and running an illegal clam stand. They were found not guilty in East Hampton Town Justice Court last October. Last month, Rodgers filed a letter with the state Department of Environmental Conservation seeking return of $200 worth of fish that agents confiscated and sold at a local market. To date, the money hasn't been returned.
Read the story from Newsday by Mark Harrington.