Tampa woman arrested for operating radio station

Hillsborough County Sheriffs arrested 20-year-old Marjorie Voltaire in Tampa on October 12 for operating a radio station.

The sheriff's press release says, "Responding to a complaint from the Federal Communications Commission, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at 13410 La Place Circle #127 around 11:30 p.m. on October 12, 2006. Marjorie Voltaire was arrested for unauthorized transmission of a radio broadcast. Voltaire had been transmitting music over an FM band without a license. Radio transmissions were being broadcast at the time detectives entered the apartment."

Baynews9.com reports that Voltaire was released on $2,000 bond and was, "charged with unauthorized radio transmission, which is a third-degree felony." The St. Petersburg Times reports, "deputies served a search warrant at Voltaire's apartment. They found $10,000 worth of broadcasting equipment and a large antennae, said Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway....Voltaire, who has no criminal record in Florida, is Haitian, and she set up the station about a month ago, Callaway said."

Florida and New Jersey recently made it a state crime to operate a radio station without a license.