Three Lower Keys brothers will serve six months in prison, prosecuted under the U.S. Lacey Act
Senior U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King approved a plea agreement between Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald and defense attorneys that called for six months imprisonment followed by a year of supervised release and a $25,000 fine. Brothers Charles, Tyson and Ryan Veach already forfeited a 32-foot Invincible center console boat, spent $24,000 to remove the casitas from Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary waters, and gave up their commercial lobster licenses prior to their arrival in court, defense attorneys said. Read the rest here 08:01
Talk about being sentenced before a judge who has a hard-on (even after 50 years on the bench) for fishery violations:
“But King said that support for law enforcement seems to have faded in terms of fisheries enforcement, adding that he perceives the public’s view that such violations are “no big deal.”
Maybe someone should remind the honorable-one about the guy in the White House who commits violations daily against the American people and thinks its “no big deal.”
How about the penalty having some relationship to whatever happened here, judge?
You’ve got to be a commercial Fisherman! Fisheries violations have been pretty much ignored for years. These three idiots got what they deserved and a very clear message has been sent. If you’re gonna be stupid you better be tough because stupid hurts.
Good point….just remember that when your on the receiving end when marine law enforcement starts hammering away.
How about Dale Jones? Pays to be stupid if you work for the gov’t. Nothing to see here folks …. Move along….
Sec 3377 of the Lacey Act exempts any fishery that is managed under a plan regulated under Magnuson-Stevens from prosecution under Lacey. There’s a federal watchdog advocacy group called Cause of Action that wants to challenge the feds overcriminalization of the U.S. fishing industry using Lacey Act provisions pro se to the Supreme Court if necessary. Ask for Daniel Epstein.
Yet another example of regulation nation. Time to put the gangsters in congress and the other useless politicians in jail, not the working class folks struggling to get by.
Perhaps the judge would rather see the state support these families through social programs (welfare). This is what the government is doing to the people who try to work for a living. Jail time for dead seafood? Your better off being a drug dealer or some other kind of degenerate these days. WTF!
Well said Joel…well said!!
I know who these guys were and they definitely weren’t hard working commercial fishermen. They were light tackle guides with high end boats and sponsorships from companies that lobby for gamefish status.
They regularly exceeded the 500 per day count for divers by making extra trips with additional boats and most trappers suspected these guys of robbing traps as well. These guys are sporties who stole opportunity from real commercial fishermen
Thank you, Chris for your insight f these guys. I linked their charter page in the post, which affirms your assessment of the Veach brothers.
Stupid people doing stupid things and then whine about laws being unfair…I say maximum penalty every
time, If you dont like the laws you have 2 choices… Dont break them or change them…