What began as a traffic stop over an expired boat-trailer registration and missing tie-downs turned into a much larger wildlife case in the Florida Keys after deputies inspected a commercial fisherman’s catch and said they found 34 undersized lobsters.
Body-camera footage featured on the YouTube channel Arrest Cam Fish and Wildlife shows Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Hager stopping the vehicle after noticing the trailer issues, only to become suspicious when he saw a large quantity of lobster and initially could not identify the commercial markings on the boat.
The fisherman, identified by the channel as Jordan, told deputies he was commercially licensed and explained that the wrong registration decal had apparently been placed on the trailer because he owned two boats. That explanation may have addressed part of the original traffic issue, but the stop soon shifted almost entirely toward the contents of the catch.
The Stop Begins With a Trailer Problem
Sergeant Hager introduced himself and told Jordan that he had been stopped because the boat was not properly tied down and the trailer registration appeared expired.
Jordan explained that he owned another boat and believed he had accidentally placed the wrong decal on the trailer, while offering to show the deputy the registration paperwork.
Hager also pointed out why the missing tie-down mattered, explaining that boats can come off trailers if they hit a bump without enough restraint and that such incidents happen periodically in the Keys.
At first, the encounter remained routine.
That changed when Hager noticed a significant number of lobsters inside the vehicle and smelled what he described as a strong odor of marijuana.
Jordan produced a medical marijuana card, and after checking the marijuana-related issue, the deputy said the container appeared to be compliant.
Hager then turned his attention back to the lobster.
Deputies Confirm Jordan Was a Commercial Fisherman
Hager initially told another officer that he had not seen commercial identification numbers on the boat, which made the quantity of lobster more suspicious.
A closer look showed that the commercial numbers were in fact present, and Jordan also produced information showing that he was a commercial bully-net fisherman.
The deputy then asked another officer what the commercial lobster limit was and was told it could be as high as 250.
That meant the overall number of lobsters was not necessarily the problem.
Their size was.
Hager borrowed a lobster gauge and said he planned to check only some of the smaller-looking animals before allowing Jordan to leave.
The first few measurements immediately raised concerns.
“Yeah, that’s small,” one officer said after checking an early specimen.
Then another lobster came up short.
And another.
The Measurements Keep Producing Undersized Lobsters
As officers continued working through the catch, their initial plan to check only a handful of animals expanded into a much larger inspection.
Hager repeatedly commented that some of the lobsters were not merely borderline, but substantially below the legal measurement.
At one point, he said that even if someone measured them incorrectly from a more favorable point near the eyes, several would still come up short.
That became important because Jordan reportedly told officers that his wife and mother had been helping measure the lobster.
Hager was not persuaded that responsibility could be passed elsewhere.
“If you’re a commercial bully net, bro, that’s on you,” he said.
The deputy’s reaction reflected what appeared to trouble officers most about the case. They were not dealing with a recreational angler who might have misunderstood one measurement; Jordan was operating commercially, which meant officers expected him to know exactly how the catch should be measured before keeping it.
The deeper Hager worked into the cooler, the worse the count became.
He said he had not even reached the bottom before already removing a large portion of the catch as undersized, eventually telling another officer that there appeared to be more than 20 violations.
Officers Decide the Number Is Too High for a Citation
Once it became clear that the violations were not limited to one or two lobster, the tone of the stop changed.
Hager said he could normally exercise some discretion if only a small number were involved, particularly if the measurements were close.
In this case, he believed the quantity was too large.
Jordan was placed in handcuffs before officers had even completed the final count.
The deputy told him he was being arrested because of the number of undersized lobsters in his possession and explained that several were “grossly undersized.”
Jordan said he understood and acknowledged that, as the commercial fisherman, responsibility ultimately fell on him.
After being advised of his rights, he said the group had been bully-netting and again mentioned that others had been doing some of the measuring.
“It’s my fault at the end of the day,” Jordan told the deputies.
That admission did not amount to a guilty plea, but it showed that he understood why officers were holding him responsible for the catch.
The Final Count Reaches 34
Officers then began a more careful count while documenting the undersized lobsters with photographs and body-camera footage.
The count briefly became confusing when Hager reached 34 on the first pass and 33 on a recount, only to realize that one lobster had crawled away from the pile.
Once that animal was located, the total returned to 34.
The officers also discussed returning the lobster to the water while they were still alive rather than allowing them to die as evidence, provided the release could be properly documented.
Hager asked another officer to record the process and prepare a short report confirming that he had helped inspect, measure, photograph, and release the catch.
The deputy later took additional photographs showing the gauge against several of the lobsters, wanting clear documentation of how far below the required size they appeared to be.
This was no longer a judgment call involving fractions of an inch. Based on the officers’ comments, many of the animals were clearly below the legal measurement, which made the volume of the violations especially difficult for Jordan to explain.
Jordan Asks to Avoid Going to Jail
While sitting in the patrol vehicle, Jordan repeatedly asked whether Hager could give him a mandatory court date rather than arresting him.
He also asked whether his family could retrieve his truck and boat instead of having them towed.
Hager was willing to work with him on the vehicle, telling him that a family member could likely pick it up, but he refused to change the arrest decision.
The deputy explained that he might have handled the matter with a citation if officers had found only one or two undersized lobster.
Once the count reached 34, he considered the number too serious.
“If it was four, I could give you a court date,” Hager told him. “But 34 is egregious.”
He also returned to Jordan’s commercial status, saying that someone working in the lobster fishery should know the size regulations well enough to avoid such a large number of violations.
That is what separates this case from many recreational fishing encounters. Commercial harvesters operate at a much larger scale, and with that opportunity comes a greater expectation that they understand the rules governing the resource they are selling or using for business.
Thirty-Four Counts Remain Pending
Arrest Cam Fish and Wildlife reported that Jordan was ultimately charged with 34 counts of possession of undersized crawfish.
According to the channel, he hired a criminal defense attorney who specializes in fish-and-wildlife violations and entered a not-guilty plea.
His case remains ongoing, meaning the allegations have not been resolved in court and Jordan is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What makes the encounter notable is how far it traveled from its starting point. A deputy first stopped a boat trailer over registration and safety issues, then noticed a large commercial catch, borrowed a lobster gauge, and eventually uncovered what officers believed were dozens of separate wildlife violations.
For Jordan, the wrong trailer decal and missing tie-downs were ultimately the least serious parts of the stop. Once officers began measuring the catch, the inspection became a 34-count criminal case that was still unresolved when Arrest Cam Fish and Wildlife published its report.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
