Caroline County Man Charged with Illegal Logging in Nontidal Wetlands in Talbot County

BALTIMORE, MD (September 4, 2007) – Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Charles W. Peterson, 53, of Preston, Maryland has been charged in the Circuit Court for Talbot County with illegally logging in a nontidal wetlands. The charges allege that Peterson violated the State’s nontidal wetlands and sediment control laws, from June through August, 2006, by cutting trees in unpermitted wetland areas at and near Brant Court in Easton, Maryland.

If convicted of the nontidal wetlands violations, Peterson could be sentenced to a fine of $10,000. If convicted of the sediment control violations, he could be sentenced to one year in jail and/or fined $10,000. The filing of charges is merely an accusation of criminal wrongdoing and each individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The charges follow a joint investigation conducted by the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland State Police with the assistance of the Maryland Department of the Environment.