The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a fine of $20,000 for a Florida man who continuously transmitted non-emergency communications over channels reserved for marine safety communications.
According to a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture issued in February 2011, Vincent Aversa of Indialantic, FL routinely transmitted non-emergency communications over Marine Safety Channel 16 during a three month period from December 2009 and February 2010. Aversa’s transmissions were recorded by the United States Coast Guard, who repeatedly warned Aversa that his transmissions were unauthorized, and ordered him (unsuccessfully) to cease transmitting.
The Coast Guard notified the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and, in February 2010, FCC agents from the Tampa Office identified Aversa by using direction-finding equipment to locate the source of the illegal transmissions. Despite repeated warnings from the FCC agents over a three day period to cease his transmissions, Aversa reportedly continued to transmit communications on the Marine Safety Channel from his automobile, in plain sight and hearing of the agents.
The standoff ended when Aversa finally admitted to agents that he had been operating a radio to talk on Marine Safety Channels, and relinquished his marine radio.
