Tag Archives: U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder
Kodiak Fisherman Sentenced to Prison and fined $1M for Lacey Act violation
According to court documents, James Aaron Stevens, 47, an experienced commercial fisherman, vessel owner and captain, pled guilty in November 2020 to falsely labeling fish in violation of the Lacey Act. Stevens, owner and operator of F/V Alaskan Star and F/V Southern Seas, falsely reported where he harvested 903,208 pounds of individual fishing quota (IFQ) halibut and sablefish. Stevens knowingly falsified numerous documents, IFQ landing reports, Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish tickets, and fishing logbooks, to show that he harvested fish in locations and regulatory areas where he did not fish and omitted areas where he actually fished. Stevens committed this offense over the course of 26 fishing trips spanning four IFQ fishing seasons (2014-2017). Taken together, the halibut and sablefish that Stevens falsely reported had an approximate dock value of $4,522,210 and market value of $13,566,630. Stevens sold the falsely labeled fish caught during these trips, which were, or were intended to be, transported in interstate and foreign commerce. >click to read< 19:08
Kodiak Fisherman will Plead Guilty to Federal Charges for Falsifying Fishing Records, a Lacey Act violation
James Aaron Stevens, 46, of Kodiak, will plead guilty to one count of false labeling, a Lacey Act violation, for knowingly submitting false records concerning the locations and regulatory areas where fish were harvested. According to admissions made in connection with the plea, Stevens, the owner and operator of F/V Alaskan Star and F/V Southern Seas out of Kodiak, falsely reported individual fishing quota (IFQ) halibut and IFQ sablefish between 2014 and 2017. Specifically, Stevens knowingly falsified International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) logbooks, Daily Fishing Logbooks, Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish tickets, and landing reports to show that fishing gear had been deployed in areas where the vessels did not fish, and omitted areas in which the fish were actually harvested. In addition to his falsified logbooks, the investigation further revealed that Stevens maintained the accurate fishing information in a separate, personal log. >click to read< 13:21
Commercial Fishers Sentenced to Jail Time For Willful Failure to Pay Taxes on Income
A Southeast Alaskan couple were sentenced today in Juneau for willfully failing to pay their individual income taxes, and instead prioritized spending money on traveling and gambling. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder. Archie W. Demmert III, 58, and Roseann L. Demmert, 61, both of Klawock, Alaska, were sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to each serve 12 months, plus one day, in federal prison on two counts of willful failure to pay income tax. >click to read<09:06
Couple Charged with Crimes Related to False Distress Call to Fake Lead Defendant’s Death to Avoid Prison
Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that two Port Graham, Alaska, residents have been federally charged related to their causing the United States Coast Guard to attempt to save life and property when no help was needed. Ryan Riley Meganack, aka: “Unga,” 34, and his girlfriend, Ivy Rose Rodriguez, 25, both of Port Graham, Alaska, were charged with conspiracy and false distress. Meganack was also charged with felon in possession of a firearm. Meganack, a long-time commercial fisherman and a boat captain, was scheduled to plead guilty on Dec. 5, 2016, in a separate case (State of Alaska v. Meganack, 3AN-15-00683CR), and understood that at the time he pled guilty in that matter he would go to prison. To avoid that consequence, Meganack attempted to fake his own death and enlisted the help of his girlfriend, Rodriguez. click here to read the story 10:53
