The Florida beach mothball case has turned into a felony prosecution after authorities said two St. Pete Beach business owners scattered about 1,500 toxic mothballs on the sand to keep endangered birds from nesting near their properties.
Christopher Monroe, owner and manager of Chris’s Beachside Bar, and Robert Czyszczon, owner of the Plaza Beach Hotel, were charged with third-degree felonies after the beach materials appeared in late April behind the hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida. Investigators said the men also face a misdemeanor count involving the attempted take of a state-listed imperiled species by harassment. If convicted, each could face up to five years in prison, fines of up to $5,000 and up to five years of probation.
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said beachgoers first noticed the mothballs on the white sand, prompting a response from the agency and volunteers with the Audubon Society. Workers removed about 1,000 of the white spheres from the beach, but 500 more turned up overnight. The mothballs contained pesticides, and officials said they were placed where black skimmers were trying to establish a nesting colony. They also warned that other wildlife and children could have come into contact with them.
FWC officials said the search for whoever put the mothballs on the beach led to a wide investigation that included search warrants, review of terabytes of data and cellphone seizures. Investigators said video surveillance and receipt records showed Czyszczon spent about $60 at Walmart on a large quantity of mothballs the day before they first showed up on the beach. They also said text messages between Czyszczon and Monroe revealed discussion of their objections to the birds and plans to place mothballs on the sand. One text allegedly referred to the birds as “the worst birds,” and another warned about losses of “$25,000 to $50,000.”
Authorities said cellphone tower data placed Monroe’s phone at the same location as Czyszczon’s phone on both nights when the mothballs appeared. The two men allegedly worried that nesting birds would push away customers and cut into revenue. FWC officials said that concern appeared to drive the plan to keep the birds from settling on the beach behind their businesses.
