It had been two days since Ben Laing agreed to hop in a state wildlife agency law enforcement truck and stake out the $2.2 million Redington Beach home.

No one but the suspect’s wife had been seen coming and going from the waterfront property. But Laing and four officers believed the man was home and would eventually emerge. When he did, they had a warrant ready for his arrest.

This case was different from the drunken boating arrests and undersized snook citations Laing spent the start of his career prosecuting at the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office.

When video of a man on an electric scooter striking a young protected shorebird on the beach surfaced on social media, it caused a local uproar.

Laing and the lead officer assigned to the case, Jody Criswell, worked quickly. They exhumed the bird’s crushed carcass from where it was buried by a wildlife volunteer, took it to a veterinarian who performed an necropsy and gathered witnesses who identified the man in the video.

When a Pinellas felony court judge (who was more accustomed to human homicide investigations than avian ones) was presented the evidence the pair had gathered, she set the man’s bond at $10,000.

“And then we were off,” Criswell said.

Long road to collaboration

On a humid, late-May morning cruising atop a glassy Old Tampa Bay, Laing and Criswell recounted the shorebird tale, jumping in where the other had left off. The case had been the highlight of their respective careers. At least so far.

The pair are currently investigating some of the area’s most high-profile marine and wildlife crimes, including the boat crash that killed a man aboard the Clearwater Ferry and the case of a man accused of shooting a blue heron in his backyard.

Unable to discuss ongoing cases, Laing and Criswell pointed out other important ones that didn’t make local headlines.

There was the fishing license case that became a constitutional law crisis. Then there was the case of the man who stalled out a water scooter after repeatedly running over a manatee. And the five gopher tortoise burrows displaced by a developer in Tarpon Springs? That was another favorite case of theirs and the start of a prolific partnership.

Laing and Criswell were awarded prosecutor of the year and boating officer of the year, respectively, during the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s annual banquet last month.

Each said the other was responsible for their recognition by the law enforcement agency. Criswell beat out nearly 900 officers stationed statewide for the coveted award.

“It’s because of him,” she said, nodding to Laing. “I don’t know why they picked me.”

Laing said it was obvious: Criswell’s investigations are always so thorough it makes prosecution easy.

“People get very excited now in the office when they have a Jody case,” he said.

But that collaborative spirit was hard-earned.

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning. Loading… You’re all signed up! Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. Explore all your options

When Frank Piazza served as a division chief at the state attorney’s office, the marine wildlife unit was small and the cases often weren’t that interesting, he said.

Two years ago, Piazza pulled Laing aside for an impromptu interview in the hallways of Stetson College of Law, where he had been teaching a prosecution clinic. Piazza was immediately struck by Liang’s confidence and reliability.

“He has that kind of ‘it’ factor,” Piazza said. “You talked to him a little bit, and you knew, ‘Oh, this guy’s going to be a good trial attorney.’ Actually, he’s going to be a really good trial attorney. So, yeah, I offered him the job.”

Laing, who had never taken an environmental law class, was just the second prosecutor assigned to the marine unit at the time. For years, many at the state attorney’s office had treated those cases as a chore, Laing said. Unlike other units that had a singular focus such as gangs or homicides, prosecutors in the marine unit also had to juggle other kinds of cases.

At the time, it “seemed like extra work,” Laing said. But he was eager for trial experience.

To state law enforcement officers, the idea that their cases weren’t a priority had permeated the region’s office, said Capt. Matthew Dallarosa, of the wildlife commission.

“That was always the complaint: ‘They’re not going to take that case anyway. Don’t even bother,’” he said.

Over his decade as regional supervisor with the agency, Dallarosa saw fleeting interest in boating and wildlife cases from assistant state attorneys, but no one ever emerged as a go-to prosecutor. Until Laing.

“Ben is that right guy,” Dallarosa said.

“It’s not that it’s always been bad and then Ben came along and he put us on his shoulder with his big biceps and carried us,” he said. “He did that, but it was unique in the sense that it’s been continuous. It’s been everlasting.”

Dallarosa said the success of the agency’s burgeoning partnership with the state attorney’s office is due to Laing’s passion for the health of a region “that is 10 times more urbanized than it should be.”

Laing, 27 and a native Floridian, can trace his inclination for conservation to a young age, when he spent time after school fishing for plentiful sailfish on the east coast. He, like Criswell, hopes to keep the state’s resources intact for future generations.

The wildlife agency also commended Laing for his help establishing a path for wildlife and boating citation fees to be paid back to the state agency. A $50 fine for catching a fish out of season can now contribute to a $50,000 research grant for state biologists or new equipment for law enforcement officers.

“What’s so great about it is you’re taking what was, short-term, someone’s mistake or maybe some egregious violation, and you’re turning it into long-term health of fish and wildlife stewardship,” Dallarosa said.

Fish, tortoises and manatees

While Laing and Criswell waited at opposite ends of the road for Vitaliy Kravchenko outside his home, they called each other every few minutes.

“Are you seeing anything?” they asked.

The state attorney’s office and wildlife commission had agreed it was too risky for officers to knock on Kravchenko’s door.

But before Laing and Criswell could make their big bust, another agency with more resources swooped in: Pinellas County deputies served the arrest warrant and booked Kravchenko at the county jail on Aug. 30.

Laing’s thunder was stolen once again when a more experienced assistant state attorney took over the case from him as it headed toward trial.

In March, Kravchenko was offered pre trial diversion on a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty. Instead of jail time, he was ordered to perform 25 hours of community service and take an anger management class.

Laing and Criswell talk weekly. If one calls the other at 9:30 on a weeknight, it’s a sure bet they’ll pick up the phone. After a work update, the conversation can quickly turn to fishing or the water or whatever new is happening in their personal lives.

Amid the mangroves along Gandy Bridge Causeway Beach, they caught each other up on the shorebird case’s outcome. Criswell, for one, was disappointed.

Still, the pair reveled in their successes.

The fishing license case had resulted in a constitutional challenge after Florida passed a ballot amendment last year enshrining hunting and fishing rights in the state’s constitution, but the defense didn’t stick and the case ended in a no contest plea and guilty adjudication.

The man who struck the a manatee with a water scooter also pleaded guilty and was fined $450.

The gopher tortoise case, however, went to a jury that decided the state hadn’t proved its case.

“We’ve had more wins than losses, which is always good,” Laing said. “But, you know, you always walk away from the loss learning something new.”

• • •

The Tampa Bay Times launched the Environment Hub in 2025 to focus on some of Florida‘s most urgent and enduring challenges. You can contribute through our journalism fund by clicking here.