Eastpoint man charged in scheme to sell illegally caught fish

An Eastpoint fisherman is one of 4 men named in a 58 count federal indictment alleging a scheme to sell illegally harvested fish purchased from unlicensed fishermen.
United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that 39 year old Charles Stacy Logue of Eastpoint along with Junior Wayne Harper of Thomasville, Byron James Puckette of Cairo and Ronnie Irvin Burdette of Moultrie took part in the scheme.
The indictment alleges that Harper, the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Harper's Seafood, in Thomasville, GA, and Puckett, the company's Vice President, conspired to purchase fish which they knew had been taken and sold in violation of Florida laws.
Harper and Puckett are alleged to have purchased the fish from different unlicensed fishermen, including Misters Logue and Burdette. 
Harper is a named defendant in 52 counts; Burdette is charged in 30 counts; Logue is charged in 22 counts; and Puckett is charged in 19 counts.
In addition, Harper and Puckett are charged with other felony violations of the Lacey Act for making and submitting to the State of Florida false Florida Marine Fisheries Trip Tickets. 
The indictment alleges that in order to conceal some illegal purchases of fish, Harper and Puckett falsified the trip tickets by identifying an illegally purchased species of fish as a different species.
Each count of the indictment carries a maximum possible sentence of five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and a $100 mandatory assessment.
All of the men have entered not guilty pleas to the charges. 


http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments