A joint four-year investigation into alleged wildlife conservation offenses at an exclusive hunt club conducted by Maryland Natural Resources Police and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USF&WS) in conjunction with Dorchester County State's Attorney Michael C. Maloney, culminated with the arrest of five Eastern Shore men and others from around the country yesterday. If convicted, defendants face thousands of dollars in fines and possible jail time.

Natural Resources Police and USF&WS agents served arrest, search/seizure warrants and citations at the homes of 22 defendants in Dorchester and Montgomery counties in Maryland and at locations in New Jersey and Michigan to conclude Operation Golden Hill. The special operation led to charging the defendants with 341 state conservation violations and 65 federal offenses. Three more defendants have not been served their warrants.

"This joint investigation and the charges that have been filed send a strong message to those who violate Maryland's conservation laws," said NRP Supt. John W. Rhoads. "The protection of our natural resources is important to Maryland citizens and we will not allow abuses to go unpunished. The information obtained during this Natural Resources Police and USF&WS cooperative effort may lead to further investigations and/or charges."

Edward W. Davis, 40, Robert L. Gootee Jr., 27, Larry R. Powley, 46, Ronnie W. Robbins, 39, Scott Ruark, 30, all of Hooper's Island (Dorchester County) were held on federal offenses in the Caroline County Detention Center pending arraignment before a federal magistrate today. Richard D. Ransome, 45, of Cinnaminson, N.J., was arrested in Michigan and released on bond.

Operation Golden Hill was launched in February 1995 after a Natural Resources Police field officer received a tip that the guide service at Golden Hill Farms in Church Creek was allegedly participating in illegal deer and waterfowl hunting practices. Undercover Natural Resources Police officers booked hunting trips via the farm's guide service where various violations were observed. In 1996, Golden Hill Farms suspended the guide service and opened a limited membership hunting club on the farm's approximately 2000 acres.

Covert Natural Resources Police officers gained membership to the club, continuing the investigation that chronicled the club's membership and administration allegedly involved in wildlife conservation offenses in and around the facility that included: taking waterfowl during a closed season, widespread baiting of waterfowl, exceeding the daily bag limit of waterfowl, wanton waste of waterfowl, processing waterfowl without a license, possession of striped bass during a closed season, guiding without a Master Hunting Guide license, hunting deer during a closed season and numerous other violations related to trapping and the U.S. Wildlife Refuge Act.

Fifteen individuals were charged with multiple counts of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Violations of the MBTA can have a maximum penalty of six months jail time and/or a $5,000 fine on each count.

More than 40 Natural Resources Police officers and 25 USF&WS agents from 14 states participated in yesterday's multi-state warrant service operation.

Court dates have not yet been determined.

Maryland's Natural Resources Police are the only agency mandated by state law, specifically to enforce conservation and boating laws.

3/16/99 Update: Two more defendants cited during Operation Golden Hill have been served their citations for alleged state wildlife conservation violations.

Martin A. Regalia, 49, of Gaithersburg, was served before noon on Friday. James E. Vance, 49, of Washington , D.C., was served this morning. Both men are charged with failure to field tag a deer and failure to check in a deer. The charges carry a maximum penalty of $1,500.