A Maryland man is accused of selling improperly stored oysters for a charity event and harvesting them for commercial purposes without a license.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police charged John Vallandingham, 67, of St. Mary’s County, with failure to obtain a tidal fish license, failure to pay the oyster surcharge, and other related charges.
Police tracked oysters harvested from the Wicomico River to a garage belonging to Vallandingham weeks before they saw him sell six bushels from the property.
They found that the oysters were stored in improper containers within the garage for several days, during which the average temperatures exceeded 50 degrees.
“The inadequate storage of the oysters and the unseasonably high temperatures represented a public health risk,” a Maryland Natural Resources Police news release said.
The oysters were seized before they were consumed by the public.
If convicted, Vallandingham could pay $28,000 in fine and one year in jail.