Miami Man Arrested on Attempted Murder Charge After Allegedly Disabling Diver’s Air Supply During Lobster Season Dispute

Michael Joseph Simpson, 51, turned himself in Tuesday evening to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County, where he was booked on an attempted murder charge. According to jail records, his bond was set at $10,000.

The incident unfolded on July 29 during Florida’s annual lobster mini season, roughly half a mile east of Fisher Island and shortly after 7 a.m. Authorities allege Simpson approached another vessel at high speed, circled it multiple times, and anchored approximately 10 feet away before the confrontation began.

Investigators contend Simpson claimed the other divers were working in “his spot” and later threatened to disable the surface-supplied air system sustaining an 18-year-old diver underwater. According to the arrest affidavit, Simpson then entered the water and intentionally shut off the equipment, prompting witnesses to shout warnings about the diver below.

The diver’s boat owner rescued the teen and brought him to the surface. Though gasping for air and appearing disoriented, the diver sustained no injuries. Simpson allegedly departed before deputies arrived but later voluntarily surrendered after being identified as the suspect.

Simpson’s attorney, Howard Srebnick, categorically denied the allegations in a statement, claiming investigators overlooked exculpatory evidence and witnesses. Srebnick asserted his client never disabled diving equipment and that video footage shows an accuser becoming entangled in the air system while Simpson was elsewhere.

Srebnick further disputed claims that Simpson fled, saying he instead maneuvered his boat away to de-escalate the situation before cooperating with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers. He criticized the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office for making an arrest without interviewing witnesses he says support Simpson’s account.