State busts gator racketeering ring

A group of Southwest Florida men, including one from Cape Coral, were arrested by state wildlife officials and charged with various felonies related to what is being referred to as an alligator racketeering ring.

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Charges include illegal possession of alligators, illegal egg harvesting, interstate transport of alligator eggs and hatchlings, falsifying official records, dealing in stolen property, conspiracy to commit racketeering, racketeering and other wildlife violations, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission records.

“Many of these suspects were part of a criminal conspiracy,” said Grant Burton, head of the FWC’s investigations section. “Their crimes pose serious environmental and economic consequences. These suspects not only damage Florida’s valuable natural resources, they also harm law-abiding business owners by operating black markets that undermine the legal process.”

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FWC says it put undercover investigators in the alligator farming industry in 2015. Their findings led to the arrests.

Overall, nine people were arrested for 44 alligators.

Investigators say they saw more than 10,000 illegal eggs sold.

Suspects include:

Robert Kelly Albritton, 36, of Arcadia

• One felony count of Racketeering.
• One felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering.
• One felony count of Scheme to Defraud.
• Fourteen felony counts of Unlawful Possession of Alligator Eggs/Alligators.

Robert Thomas Beasley ,36, of Arcadia

• One felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering.
• Six felony counts of Unlawful Possession of Alligator Eggs/Alligators.

David Wentworth Nellis, 36, of Punta Gorda

• One felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering.
• One felony count of Uttering a Forged Instrument.
• One felony count of Unlawful Possession of Alligator Eggs.

Carl Wayne Pickle Jr., 47, of Arcadia

• One felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering.
• Four felony counts of Unlawful Possession of Alligator Eggs/Alligators.

Wayne Andrew Nichols, 41, of Arcadia

• Three felony counts of Unlawful Possession of Alligators.
• One felony count of Unlawful Killing of White Ibis.
• One first-degree misdemeanor count of Attempting to Take White Ibis.

Christopher Lee Briscall, 22, of Fort Denaud

• One felony count of Unlawful Possession of Alligators.
• One felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in Stolen Property.

Matthew Edward Evors,24, of Cape Coral

• One felony count of Unlawful Possession of Alligators.
• One felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in Stolen Property.

Isaiah Joseph Romano, 25 of Fort Denaud

• One felony count of Unlawful Possession of Alligators.
• One felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in Stolen Property.

Jacob Oliver Bustin-Pitts, 23, of Fort Denaud

• One felony count of Unlawful Possession of Alligators.
• One felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in Stolen Property