Commercial fishermen plead guilty

[rockhopper]

COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN PLEAD GUILTY TO ILLEGAL HARVESTING OF ROCKFISH

WASHINGTON-Two commercial fisherman pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, to violations of the Lacey Act, the federal law that prohibits individuals from transporting, selling or buying illegally harvested fish, in this case striped bass or rockfish, the Justice Department announced.
Jerry Decatur Sr. of Stafford, Va., pleaded guilty to a one count criminal information for illegally taking and over-harvesting striped bass. Additionally, Kenneth Dent of Dumfries, Va., pleaded guilty to a one count criminal information for trafficking illegally taken striped bass.

According to documents filed with the court, on at least 13 occasions between 2004 through 2007, Decatur Sr. illegally harvested more than 10,000 pounds of striped bass from the Potomac River. The commercial fisherman fished out of season, kept over-sized fish or used nets that violated applicable regulations. He then sold the catch to two fish wholesalers in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he failed to affix tags to the majority of the striped bass that he caught thereby exceeding their limit by thousands of pounds. In April and May 2003 through 2007, Decatur harvested more than 65,000 beyond his limit. The fair market retail value of the over- and illegally- harvested rockfish was in excess of $329,000.

According to the documents, on multiple occasions, Dent sold hundreds of pounds of rockfish that were illegally harvested or tagged to an undercover special agent with the Virginia Marine Police, who told Dent that the fish were being transported to Pennsylvania. On one occasion, Dent illegally harvested 400 pounds of fish from Virginia tributaries of the Potomac River and sold it to the undercover agent for $990. He knowingly tagged much of the fish with incorrect tags to exceed his limit of Virigina-caught fish. The majority of these fish were also not within the legal size limit. On a second occasion, Dent sold the undercover agent 430 pounds of rockfish for $1000 that were larger than the legal size limit. On a third occasion, he sold the agent 480 pounds of fish for $1,375. All of these fish were more than the legal size limit. The fair market retail value of the transactions was in excess of $5,000. Further Dent illegally sold the undercover agent 100 striped bass tags despite a prohibition against private sales.
Decatur Sr. and Dent both face maximum penalties of up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years supervised release for the Lacey Act violations.

Today's guilty pleas are the result of the investigation by an interstate task force formed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Maryland Natural Resources Police and the Virginia Marine Police, Special Investigative Unit in 2003. The task force conducted undercover purchases and sales of striped bass in 2003, engaged in covert observation of commercial fishing operations in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River area, and conducted detailed analysis of area striped bass catch reporting and commercial business sales records from 2003 through 2007. The investigation is continuing, and charges against others are possible.

As part of the investigation and prosecution to date, a total of 11 individuals and one company have been charged including today's defendants. Nine of those have pleaded guilty to wildlife crimes for their involvement in illegally harvesting and trafficking in striped bass. Two fishermen, Joseph Peter Nelson Jr., of Great Mills, Md., and his father Joseph Peter Nelson, of Avenue, Md., are awaiting trial, and one other commercial fisherman is awaiting arraignment and entry of a plea.

Sentencing dates in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt for five Maryland fishermen who pleaded guilty in this case are listed below.

Thomas L. Hallock April 22, 2009 9:30 AM
Charles Quade April 27, 2009 9:30 AM
Thomas L. Crowder April 28, 2009 9:30 AM
John W. Dean April 30, 2009 9:30 AM
Keith A. Collins May 28, 2009 9:30 AM
Cannon Seafood, a Washington, D.C. fish wholesaler, its owner Robert Moore Sr. and his son Robert Moore Jr. are scheduled for sentencing on May 8, 2009, at 9:30 AM in U.S.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Dawson Belf for the District of Maryland and Senior Trial Attorney Wayne Hettenbach of the Justice Department's Environmental Crimes Section.

[DarkSkies]

I know commercial guys who are hurting and having a hard time feeding their families. They complain of the strict regs and the messed up laws that have them throwing back dead fish when those fish could be utilized.

And then you have guys like thiis who apparently have been doing it for years with no regard to the law. I hope they get the maximum penalty.

[storminsteve]

COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN PLEAD GUILTY TO ILLEGAL HARVESTING OF ROCKFISH

WASHINGTON-Two commercial fisherman pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, to violations of the Lacey Act, the federal law that prohibits individuals from transporting, selling or buying illegally harvested fish, in this case striped bass or rockfish, the Justice Department announced.
Jerry Decatur Sr. of Stafford, Va., pleaded guilty to a one count criminal information for illegally taking and over-harvesting striped bass. Additionally, Kenneth Dent of Dumfries, Va., pleaded guilty to a one count criminal information for trafficking illegally taken striped bass.

According to documents filed with the court, on at least 13 occasions between 2004 through 2007, Decatur Sr. illegally harvested more than 10,000 pounds of striped bass from the Potomac River. The commercial fisherman fished out of season, kept over-sized fish or used nets that violated applicable regulations. He then sold the catch to two fish wholesalers in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he failed to affix tags to the majority of the striped bass that he caught thereby exceeding their limit by thousands of pounds. In April and May 2003 through 2007, Decatur harvested more than 65,000 beyond his limit. The fair market retail value of the over- and illegally- harvested rockfish was in excess of $329,000.

Pond scum, pilfering scalawag dirtbags should walk the plank.

[wish4fish]

Pond scum, pilfering scalawag dirtbags should walk the plank.

shoot em in the feet so they cant walk no more

[surferman]

He got off easy should have been 5 years in prison and $300,000 fine.

Maryland Commercial Fisherman Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Harvesting of Rockfish





Seafood Wholesaler and Owner Charged with Conspiracy

WASHINGTON, April 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thomas L. Hallock, a commercial fisherman licensed in Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Md., to 12 months in prison, for illegally overfishing striped bass also known as rockfish, the Justice Department announced.


He was also fined $4,000 and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $40,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to the benefit of the Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass Restoration Account.


"Today's prison sentence should serve as a warning to fishermen and wholesalers who may consider undercutting the market and risking the continuation of the striped bass population. You will be prosecuted and you face the possibility of serving time," said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Fishing limits in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River are designed to protect the healthy sustainable population of striped bass and ensure a viable fishery up and down the eastern seaboard."

"If fishermen obey the rules, the rockfish population can be sustained forever," said Rod J. Rosenstein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. "If we allow overfishing, the rockfish population could be wiped out very quickly."


Hallock of Catharpin, Va., pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2009, to falsely recording the amount of striped bass that he harvested from 2003 to 2007 with the assistance of a Maryland designated fish check-in station. In each year, he failed to record some of the striped bass that was caught or recorded a lower weight of striped bass than was actually caught. Hallock and the check-in station operator would also falsely inflate the actual number of fish harvested. By under-reporting the weight of fish harvested, and over-reporting the number of fish taken, the records would make it appear that the defendants had failed to reach the maximum poundage quota for the year, but had nonetheless run out of tags. As a result, the state would issue additional tags that could be used by the defendants allowing them to catch striped bass above their maximum poundage quota amount. Hallock admitted to overfishing 68,442 pounds of rockfish that had a fair market retail value of $342,210.


In a related matter, charges were filed on April 20, 2009, against the fish wholesaler and its owner who operated the check-in station that assisted Hallock and others in violating the law. Golden Eye Seafood LLC and owner, Robert Lumpkins of St. Mary's County, Md., were charged with four felony counts including conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and three substantive violations of the Act. According to the charging document, Golden Eye Seafood and Lumpkins also purchased fish that were outside the legal size limit from an undercover agent and sold those fish to purchasers in New York, Virginia, and California.


Golden Eye and Lumpkins also conspired to falsely record and verify lower weights of and higher numbers of the commercially harvested rockfish than were actually being caught. By increasing the number of fish allegedly checked-in and decreasing the weight, the defendants made it appear as if they and other Maryland fisherman were using more tags and catching lower weights of fish. They in turn would request more tags as it appeared they had not reached their poundage quota.


Additionally, John Evans, a commercial fisherman who operated in St. Mary's County and the surrounding waters of the Chesapeake Bay, was charged with a violation of the Lacey Act for overfishing striped bass.

The charges contained in the criminal information are not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal information is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The Lacey Act carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 per offense.

Sentencing dates for the remaining six commercial fishermen who have pleaded guilty to similar charges as Hallock are listed below.


Charles Quade, April 27, 2009, 9:30 AM
Thomas L. Crowder, April 28, 2009, 9:30 AM
John W. Dean, April 30, 2009, 9:30 AM
Keith A. Collins, May 28, 2009, 9:30 AM
Kenneth Dent, July 2, 2009, 9:30 AM
Jerry Decatur, Sr., July 1, 2009, 9:30 AM

Cannon Seafood, a Washington, D.C., fish wholesaler, its owner, Robert Moore Sr. and his son Robert Moore Jr. are scheduled for sentencing on May 8, 2009, at 9:30 AM in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Two fishermen, Joseph Peter Nelson Jr. of Great Mills, Md., and his father Joseph Peter Nelson of Avenue, Md., have been indicted in the District of Maryland and are awaiting trial.

As a result of the investigation and prosecution, two fish wholesalers and a total of 14 individuals have been charged, including today's defendants.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Dawson Belf for the District of Maryland and Senior Trial Attorney Wayne Hettenbach of the Justice Department's Environmental Crimes Section.




SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

[plugcrazy]

It's about time!