Case of Gasparilla piracy nets boatload of charges

By COLLEEN JENKINS, Times Staff Writer
Published January 29, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT Mark Koert was drunk Saturday when he stole a boat, Hillsborough authorities say.

TAMPA - Mark Stevens Koert, a 27-year-old Realtor with a near-clean criminal record, landed in jail Saturday night on charges that he stole a boat and led authorities on a 40-minute chase around Tampa Bay.

Has the lousy housing market come to this?

Koert, who jail records show is an employee of University Realty in Tampa, wasn't talking to reporters Monday. But his attorney had a few things to say.

"This is a bizarre event, totally out of character with his previous life experiences," attorney Ralph Fernandez said.

He said Koert and his family were grateful law enforcement had shown restraint by shooting at the boat and not the suspect.

"These things sometimes can have a tragic result," Fernandez said.

According to the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office, Koert was drunk late Saturday when he stole a 28-foot Maxim from the municipal docks at the Tampa Convention Center and tried to ram it into a boat carrying two deputies on a routine marine unit patrol.

The deputies steered away from Koert and called for assistance. When a Coast Guard vessel responded, Koert also struck it twice, according to an incident report.

A deputy and the Coast Guard fired shots at Koert's motor in an attempt to disable it, but missed.

The chase, captured on video from a sheriff's helicopter, ended near the Davis Islands bridge after Koert struggled to maneuver the boat in shallow waters. No one was hurt.

Koert attended high school in Naples and graduated in 2004 with a communications degree from the University of South Florida, his attorney said. He lives in Lutz.

In 2000, at age 19, he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge for underage liquor possession in Highlands County.

He is "extremely nervous and upset," Fernandez said Monday.

He faces charges of first-degree grand theft, two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing to elude at high speed and reckless operation of a vessel.

He could face federal charges because the Coast Guard was involved.

"Obviously, it's a life-changing event," the attorney said. "It's something that he takes very, very seriously."

Colleen Jenkins can be reached at cjenkins@sptimes.com or 813 226-3337.

[Last modified January 28, 2008, 23:45:16]