A father and son from the Southeast Alaska community of Wrangell,
Alaska have been fined and sentenced to five years probation for violations of
the Lacey Act while fishing for halibut in the Gulf of Alaska.
Charles “Chuck” J. Petticrew Sr., 70, and Charles “Jeff” J.
Petticrew Jr., 42, had previously been charged with violating the federal Lacey
Act, said US Attorney Karen L. Loeffler, in an announcement Jan. 5. Both men
admitted their crimes and pled guilty in October before Chief US District Judge
Timothy H. Burgess.
According to Assistant US Attorney Jack S. Schmidt, the
Petticrews conspired between June 28, 2010 until May 20, 2013, to falsify
fishing locations in their longline fishery logbook entries for the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game, as well as on individual fishing quota landing
permits and ADF&G halibut tickets.
They indicated they fished in management area 3A, when in
fact they had fished only in management area2C, Schmidt said.
The Petticrews illegally caught halibut in management area
2C valued at over $23,000 and falsified IFQ records.
The elder Petticrew pled guilty to a single felony count of
conspiracy to falsify IFQ records and was sentenced to pay a $90,000 fine,
along with probation. His son pled guilty to a single misdemeanor count for
violating the Lacey Act by falsifying IFQ records and fined $10,000, along with
probation. Both men agreed to install and pay for a vessel monitoring system
for the vessel they used and for any other vessel fished on behalf of the
family corporation.
The investigation into the Lacey Act violations was
conducted by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Enforcement Division.
.gif)