The Fight Rages On As Byler Inches Closer To A Federal Trial Against The US Coast Guard And City of Kodiak
In late 2022 and early 2023, Professional Mariner Darren Byler of Kodiak, Alaska filed two separate multi-million-dollar lawsuits: one against the United States Coast Guard and Special Agents for fraud and evidence tampering and the other against City of Kodiak and City Officials for the illegal sinking of the 110’ M/V Wild Alaskan. Byler claims both cases are related and he was “ganged up on by all of them at once over my Adult Entertainment Charter”. “I did not realize that beautiful, topless women could be so threatening and intimidating to certain people”.
As an Investigative Reporter for Maritime Justice, I have been following this story for several months as Byler has methodically laid out details of his claims of fraud and misconduct against the US Coast Guard and the City of Kodiak on the “Sinking of the Wild Alaskan” Facebook page. Byler has used their own documents against them in a total of “28 Document Dumps”. Most of the documents, photos and audio recordings Byler has posted were obtained by Byler in the Federal Discovery Process, as well as Freedom of Information Act requests.
It would appear that Darren Byler has successfully applied hard-hitting evidence against all involved in this case coupled with his undeniable sense of humor, “I’m not a lawyer but I did just recently stay at a Holiday Inn Express”. Byler has a full-court press going after elected and hired public officials which includes City, State and Federal Law Enforcement Officers that Byler claims, “are covering up many State and Federal Felonies in this case” and “we are now obviously living in a Two-Tier Justice System”.
This is a David and Goliath Story, without the help of an attorney or law firm, Byler is single handedly fighting two separate Motions to Dismiss: one by the US Coast Guard and the other by the City of Kodiak. Byler has now filed two separate Oppositions to Motion to Dismiss along with answering many additional side motions which are now pending in the District of Alaska Federal Court in Anchorage, Alaska.
Byler now claims that not only does he have to fight the City and the Feds at the same time, Byler states, “Our local newspaper the Kodiak Daily Mirror is in the tank for the other side trying to sway Public Opinion and curry favor with those that pay their bills”. Byler says, “I cannot get a fair article even with the overwhelming evidence in my favor.” Byler has been at odds for many months with Kodiak Daily Mirror Publisher Kevin Bumgarner over what Byler states are “one sided articles” and “printing false information”. Byler has even on more than one occasion portrayed Bumgarner in a Court Jester Hat on the “Sinking of the Wild Alaskan” Facebook page. Underneath, the photo of Bumgarner, Byler writes, “ A Free Press that suppresses corruption associated with Government Officials will always have a negative
effect on Society. This is a fact that no one can argue with.”
In the last front page news article regarding Byler and the Wild Alaskan, the Kodiak Daily Mirror headline reads “City seeks to dismiss Byler lawsuit”
Byler claims, that 95% of the article is irrelevant and nonsensical claims by the City’s Attorney while they try to cover their tracks while committing fraud.” As well as, “regurgitating the fraudulent poop crimes against humanity conviction against me as if that had anything to do with the City’s Motion to dismiss my case against them.” Byler has provided to Maritime Justice a copy of an email chain between himself and the Kodiak Daily Mirror before their article was printed. Both Publisher Kevin Bumgarner and Reporter Caleb Oswell were well aware of Byler’s extensive Opposition to the City of Kodiak’s Motion to Dismiss citing multiple Federal case law and Federal Law documenting the fact that Maritime Law supersedes Kodiak City Ordinances regarding vessels all before the Publisher printed the article. Unfortunately for Byler, his hometown newspaper did not report on his response to the City.
There has also been a new development in this story, Longtime Kodiak Mariner Tim Abena has just come forward and publicly validated Byler’s claims that the 110’ M/V Wild Alaskan was illegally seized by the order of City of Kodiak Mayor Pat Branson. Mr. Abena made public statements in a paid article published June 20, 2023 in the Kodiak Daily Mirror. As Abena sat on the Kodiak Ports and Harbors Advisory Board, Tim Abena claims he received information from “other City Officials” that Byler’s boat was illegally seized by the orders of Mayor Pat Branson after a verbal disagreement at the local Kodiak Safeway the evening before. Byler claims he knows exactly who the other City Officials are and it will come out in the discovery and deposition process. Abena writes, “The list of questions is a long one with serious
implications” and “During my eight years of participation on PHAB(Ports and Harbors Advisory Board) I learned about many questionable city practices, manipulations of events” and found Byler’s event to be “particularly egregious”.
Most cases in Civil Court are won or lost by the decision of a Judge to allow the case to move on to trial. At that time, a majority of the cases settle out of court. Both of Byler’s cases are now pending a decision to move forward to trial by two separate Federal Judges. Byler has now posted his 32-page Opposition to Motion to Dismiss by the City of Kodiak on the Sinking of the Wild Alaskan Facebook page. Maritime Justice has examined and researched Byler’s assertions closely and has concluded that Darren Byler has a compelling argument.
Maritime Justice will continue to follow this story as it develops. Both the US Coast Guard and City Officials declined comment. Story by John Beck
“Unfortunately for Byler, his hometown newspaper did not report on his response to the City.”
You actually should read our reporting before making such claims. 34 lines of our June 22 story included Byler’s responses to the city’s claims.
Kevin Bumgarner,
Publisher,
Kodiak Daily Mirror
Nice Try Kevin! The 34 lines you are referring to include taking shots at me such as “Byler loses his liquor licenses” instead of reporting the facts that Byler lost his liquor license for safely serving alcohol on anchor just like cruise ships do when in Port. Obviously, I was targeted by the State just like I was targeted by the City and the US Coast Guard all over the fact that they didn’t like my Entertainment Charter. The Kodiak Daily Mirror also publishes in their “fair news coverage” in there so called 34 lines of fairness the regurgitated conviction for a blackwater discharge from the Wild Alaskan which of course had absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with the headlines and the purpose of the story regarding the City of Kodiak filing a Motion to Dismiss my case. If the article would have been fair and balanced as Bumgarner claims, after making the statement about the conviction he would have reminded the readers that I am suing corrupt Federal Coast Guard Agents for tampering with evidence, spoliation of evidence and committing federal perjury on the witness stand in a Federal Trial. That would have been the fair and balanced way to report this but he did not. At this point, for the Kodiak Daily Mirror and Kevin Bumgarner to expect any type of sympathy from the public regarding their MONTHS of silence on this story after 2- Multi Million Dollar Lawsuits have been filed is quite frankly laughable.
Byler’s right I live in Kodiak and the Kodiak daily mirror did not report on the story for months and months. The daily mirror was well aware of what was going on, but suppressed the story. So the only way for the public to get updates on the biggest sham in Kodiak’s history was from the sinking of the wild Alaskan Facebook page.