Florida phoenix by Laura Cassels
October 23, 2019
Arrest records of two Fort Myers men charged last week with poaching thousands of Florida turtles mostly for sale in Asian markets are marked confidential in Lee County court records.
The Phoenix, inquiring whether the men are in custody and the status of their cases, could not reach law-enforcement authorities Wednesday who might answer those questions.
The suspects are Michael Boesenberg, 39, and Michael Clemons, 23, arrested by officers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after the officers executed a search warrant.
FWC investigators said Boesenberg ran a sophisticated network of wildlife traffickers based out of Lee County. FWC said the turtles were sold for prices ranging from $300 to $10,000 each, depending on the market for each species and where it was sold.
The wildlife charges against Boesenberg, in addition to turtle poaching, include possession of “black bear parts” and possession of marijuana and THC oil.
