FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Hunter Deeley has affirmed proposed fines against three individuals linked to pirate radio broadcasts in the New York metropolitan area and Massachusetts. The Commission stands to collect a combined $60,000 if the fines are paid.
Henderson Lennox Elcock was cited for pirate radio activity on 106.3 MHz in Brooklyn, NY. Field agents heard “Wild FM” on January 30, 2025, and tied Elcock to it because his phone number was listed as the station’s contact number on a Facebook page for the station.
Etzer Toussaint was found to be broadcasting without a license on 88.9 MHz in Spring Valley, NY. Agents discovered the station, “Radio Model,” on January 14, 2025, and an internet search connected Toussaint to it. He used the station as a voice for underserved Haitian immigrants.
Elcock and Toussaint received Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture notices in January 2026, and neither filed a response with the Commission.
Shane Kelly’s case dates to April 2024, when he was cited for operating “The Test 87.9 FM” in Hyannis, MA, and his fine is still outstanding.
In November 2023, Radio Ink reported that the PIRATE Act, enacted in 2020, lets the FCC impose fines of up to $115,802 per day, with a maximum of $2,316,034, and allows action against property owners who knowingly permit pirate operations on their premises. In July 2024, the Enforcement Bureau sent warnings to 13 New York-area property owners over unlicensed FM broadcasts.
If an operator keeps ignoring the FCC and does not pay, the Commission would need law enforcement and US Marshals to raid the station and seize equipment, which can carry risk in pirate radio hotbeds such as South Florida, New York City, and suburban Boston.
