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D.C. seafood dealers plead guilty following probe of rockfish sale
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009
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Federal prosecutors report that the owner of a Washington, D.C., seafood company and an employee have pleaded guilty to the illegal purchase and sale of rockfish from the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River from 2003 through 2007.
The continuing probe described by the U.S. Department of Justice as the "largest ever investigation into illegal commercial fishing" on the two waterways led to the charges against Cannon Seafood president Robert Moore Sr. and Robert Moore Jr., both of Virginia, the agency reported Thursday.
Under the terms of a plea agreement, prosecutors report, Cannon Seafood has agreed to pay an $80,000 fine and $28,000 in restitution to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Robert Moore Sr. has agreed to pay a $40,000 fine and $15,000 in restitution to the foundation, prosecutors report, and Robert Moore Jr. has agreed to pay a $30,000 fine and $10,000 in restitution.
From April 2003 through June 2007, prosecutors report from the plea agreement, Robert Moore Sr. bought rockfish from fishermen Thomas Hallock of Maryland and Jerry Decatur Sr. and Jerry Decatur Jr. of Virginia. Prosecutors report that Robert Moore Jr. and other Cannon employees gave Hallock false receipts for the Maryland-caught rockfish that were taken to Washington, and that Robert Moore Sr. knew about the false sales receipts.
"These receipts falsely reflected that Cannon had purchased another species of fish from Hallock," prosecutors report, "and also altered the weight and price of the fish in order to conceal the striped bass purchase. During this time period, Cannon generated 168 false receipts for over 62,000 pounds of Maryland striped bass and paid Hallock over $139,000 for this fish."
Robert Moore Sr. and other Cannon employees purchased rockfish from the Decaturs that were transported from Virginia into Washington, prosecutors report, and the fish did not have plastic tags required by Virginia law.
"The majority of untagged fish that Cannon bought from the Decaturs was caught and bought during the spring striped bass spawning seasons," the prosecutors report, "when fishing was prohibited because of its importance to the long term propagation of the species. Cannon purchased over 30,000 pounds of untagged striped bass from the Decaturs, and paid over $87,000 for the fish."
Prosecutors reiterated that commercial fishermen have been charged with rockfish harvesting violations, including indictments filed against St. Mary's watermen Joseph Peter Nelson and Joseph Peter Nelson Jr. that seek forfeiture of their vessels and vehicles.
