PUNTA GORDA — A contractor turned himself into Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office on Monday for illegally dumping old sports equipment from a client after Hurricane Milton.
Eric Stover, 27, was charged with one count of littering more than 500 pounds of commercial waste. He was released on $2,500 bond.
According to his arrest report, deputies reported finding 3 cubic yards of household waste in a pile on the 11300 block of Fifth Avenue in Punta Gorda earlier this month.
The pile was in the right of way outside of a new construction home, and contained a ping-pong table, a pool table, skis and sports memorabilia.
Deputies reported finding a school class photo in the pile, which led them to a University of South Florida College of Medicine alumni.
A relative of the alumni confirmed to the deputies she had hired Stover to remove items damaged by “the recent hurricane.”
It was not certain in the report if the “recent hurricane” was Helene or Milton.
Deputies eventually made contact with Stover on Monday, when he allegedly agreed to turn himself in at the Charlotte County Jail.