VERMILION PARISH, La. — On April 5, 2023, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) law enforcement agents cited two Lafayette men for alleged gross littering violations.
According to LDWF, Adam M. Ory, 20, and Austin R. Barbier, 23, both of Lafayette, were cited for gross littering. Additionally, Ory was cited for the following: selling or buying fish without a retail seafood license, violating interstate commerce regulations, and failing to maintain records.
On the evening of March 30, agents received information of about 80 sacks of dead crawfish dumped at the Hebert’s boat launch at Schooner Bayou in Little Prairie. After conducting a preliminary investigation, agents were able to identify a truck and trailer that delivered the dead crawfish to the boat launch. Law enforcement was then able to locate Ory and Barbier, the people in the vehicle, officials report.
Ory bought live crawfish in Louisiana on March 20 and drove them to Mississippi, Alabama and Florida in order to sell them on March 21. Ory then drove back to Louisiana with the crawfish he could not sell and, along with Barbier, dumped the now dead crawfish at the Hebert’s boat launch on March 30. Ory did not possess the required licenses to purchase crawfish to sell them, authorities say.
Violating interstate commerce is a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Selling or buying fish without a retail seafood license and failing to maintain records carries a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail for each offense. Gross littering brings up to a $900 fine, up to 30 days in jail and 16 hours of community service in a litter abatement program.
Agents investigating the case are Corporal Derek Logan, Sgt. Justin Sonnier, Senior Agent Joshua Segrest and Corporal Matthew Perkins. The Vermilion Parish, Cameron Parish and Lafayette Parish sheriff offices also participated in the case.
