On Tuesday Florida Fish and Wildlife and the Lee County State Attorney's Office charged a former Florida Forest Service Supervisor with vessel homicide.
FWC arrested 38-year-old Anthony Curella and charged him with vessel homicide and leaving the scene without rendering aid after a boating incident on the Caloosahatchee River near Alva in 2023.
The incident resulted in the death of Christopher Giangeruso.
FWC says Curella was driving the boat, when Giangeruso went missing.
FWC says investigators determined that after the incident, Curella returned to his residence and failed to contact emergency services for approximately three hours.
Further investigation FWC revealed Curella misled investigators about the area where Mr. Giangeruso went missing and attempted to conceal critical evidence related to the case.
"We are incredibly proud of our investigators for their tireless work on this case and grateful for the support of the State Attorney’s Office," said FWC Southwest Regional Commander Major Evan Laskowski. “Our officers conducted a comprehensive investigation that included an extensive water search, analysis of physical evidence, review of cell phone data and video footage, multiple witness interviews, and the execution of several search warrants.”
FOX 4 has confirmed Curella worked for the Florida Forest Service in Collier County as an area supervisor until 2017. Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said he then came back in a part-time, non supervisory capacity from 2023 until April 2025.
On Sunday, November 26, 2023 at approximately 9:30 p.m., the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received a report of a missing boater on the Caloosahatchee River in Alva, Lee County. The FWC, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Hendry County Sheriff’s Office and the Alva Fire Department all responded to the scene. In the afternoon, the missing boater was found deceased.
