FWC arrests North Miami man accused of making false statement about boating accident
News Release
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Media contact: Officer Jorge Pino, 561-723-1417
Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission's (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement
arrested a North Miami man Thursday, charging him with filing a
false statement, a second-degree misdemeanor. Willie L.
Lawyer Jr. (DOB 02/16/67) was booked into the Miami-Dade County
Jail early Thursday.
At the time of his arrest, Lawyer was wanted on an
open warrant for six charges, including cocaine trafficking and
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In a sworn statement, Lawyer told FWC investigators
that he was involved in a boating accident Monday night off the
Haulover Inlet. He claimed his boat had collided with another
boat and that three people were missing. An exhaustive air
and sea search by the FWC, Miami-Dade Police and the U.S. Coast
Guard uncovered no evidence to support his statement.
"Making false statements is something the FWC and
all law enforcement agencies will not tolerate," said FWC Maj.
Alfredo Escanio. "Lives are at stake when we divert our
resources to a call that turns out to be a hoax, especially when we
could be helping people in real need."
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