Tag Archives: Thomas Choi
Maine Harvester Enters Guilty Plea, Maine Dealers Sentenced for Illegally Trafficking American Eels
Yarann Im was sentenced to six months imprisonment and three years of supervised release and Thomas Choi was sentenced to six months in prison with a fine of $25,000 today for trafficking juvenile American eels (also called “elvers” or “glass eels”) in violation of the Lacey Act, following a hearing in federal district court in Portland, Maine. The sentence was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. This sentencing follows the entry of a guilty plea on December 12, 2017, by Albert Cray,,, click here to read the press release 18:51
Seven plead guilty to illegal Elver Eel trafficking
Seven people pleaded guilty to federal charges of trafficking nearly $2 million worth of baby eels on the East Coast. The pleas took place between Tuesday and Thursday at federal court in Portland. Six pleaded guilty to selling or transporting illegally harvested elvers in interstate commerce. Elvers can only be fished commercially in Maine and South Carolina and are one of the country’s most lucrative fisheries on a by-the-pound basis. They are sold to Asia and used for sushi. The six who pleaded guilty to selling or transporting the elvers were Yarann Im, Mark Green, John Pinkham, Thomas Reno, Michael Bryant and George Anestis. Thomas Choi pleaded guilty to exporting elvers that he knew had been harvested illegally. The charges carry a maximum of five years in jail. link 08:30
