The Maine Department of Marine Resources has suspended the licenses of two lobstermen for stealing traps, a violation known as trap molesting.

Calvin Pinkham, 55, of Steuben, was charged in 2022 with stealing a total of 59 lobster traps belonging to seven other fishermen, the department said on Friday. His license was suspended for three years and is scheduled to be reinstated in 2025. He also reached a deal with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office to plead guilty to seven counts of trap molesting, and was ordered to pay $8,732 in restitution to the victims.

Rodney Genthner, 38, of Friendship, had his license suspended for six years after for possessing traps belonging to two other harvesters, the department said. The department said the length of his suspension was due to his violation history, which includes multiple summonses for other offenses related to lobstering. His court date has not been set but he faces up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.

Genthner was also charged twice last year with possession of V-notched lobsters, a violation of a conservation measure intended to protect egg-bearing female lobsters. He received a one-year suspension to run concurrently with the six-year suspension, and he also awaits a court date on those charges.

His license will not be reinstated until 2029.

“Suspending someone’s license isn’t something I take lightly,” Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said. “It restricts their ability to earn a living, but so does stealing another harvester’s gear.

“These are serious crimes. And possessing V-notched lobsters undermines the conservation success that law abiding harvesters have worked hard to achieve. I’m proud of the diligence of our Marine Patrol Officers whose thorough investigations have brought these two to justice.”