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Updated: 3:14 PM Sep 17, 2008
$45,000 Fine For Hoax Call To Coast Guard
An eastern North Carolina man is paying the price for making a fake distress call to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Posted: 8:38 PM Sep 16, 2008Reporter: Dave Jordan |
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11 Comments 
An eastern North Carolina man is paying the price for making a fake distress call to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Joe Mills Junior of Newport was fined $45,000 and sentenced to 60 months probation.
Back in May, Mills pled guilty to using a handheld VHF radio while standing on his front yard to fraudulently report a vessel taking on water to Coast Guard Sector NC. The distress call was recorded and specifically referenced the Coast Guard.
According to Mills, he then turned off his radio and went back into his house. The Coast Guard attempted to call Mills back, but he did not answer them. The Coast Guard then engaged in a substantial effort totaling $45,000 to search for and rescue the vessel. Local fire and rescue also spent significant resources.
The vessel was never found, and the Coast Guard launched an investigation and determined that the distress call was a hoax.
Latest Comments
Why is Clamlips allowed to insult deerhunters on here with his comment"DEERHURTERS".Most every deerhunter I know doesnt seek to hurt deer, they try for a clean , quick kill and eat the meat. What is more cruel, to kill a deer instantly with a bullet,or to take live fish out of the water and let them die a slow death of suffocation.Anyone that is not a vegetarian should think about this.
He should be made to pay back what the tax payers had to spend on his stunt! Hit them where it hurts, in the wallet! Prison is to easy! So instead of his stunt costing 45,000 dollars, we would have to feed him, provide him with medical care, let him watch cable tv, work out with weights, basketball, school, learn a new trade etc.. Yeah I am glad he is not in jail actually! Saved me some money!
I think he got off way too light!!
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