Tag Archives: James R. Casey

Company accused of diluting Chesapeake blue crab meat with imported crab

Few things say local like the Chesapeake blue crab. It has scuttled its way into Maryland’s tourism slogan and is part of the region’s signature dish, proudly touted on menus and in markets as a taste of the Bay in an era when “eat local” has become the mantra of foodies. But a few years ago, a tipster reached out to authorities with an unsavory allegation: A major Virginia seafood supplier was selling packages of premium Chesapeake blue crab meat cut with cheaper foreign crab. It wasn’t even the same species. In an unusual probe, federal agents fanned out to markets across Virginia, Delaware and North Carolina, scooping up crab meat from Casey’s Seafood and sending it out for the type of DNA analysis more common in rape and murder cases. >click to read<11:23

Federal prosecutors charge Casey’s Seafood owner in blue crab case

The president of a local seafood company was charged in Newport News federal court Friday with falsely labeling imported crab meat from foreign waters, passing it off as being more expensive Atlantic blue crab. James R. Casey, 74, of Poquoson, who owns Casey’s Seafood in Newport News, is accused of directing his employees to take crab from Asia and South America, blend it with true Atlantic blue crab, and put “Product of the USA” labels on the packages. >click here to read<12:57