(Breaking news) Feds report guilty pleas in rockfish probe

Friday, Feb. 20, 2009

Federal prosecutors report that two St. Mary's watermen and three other defendants pleaded guilty Thursday to catching more than their limit of rockfish, in an investigation of $2.1 million in illegal transactions.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland announced after Thursday's court proceedings that Thomas L. Crowder, Jr., 40, of Leonardtown; John W. Dean, 53, of Scotland; Keith A. Collins, 57, of Deale; Charles Quade, 55, of Churchton; and Thomas L. Hallock, 48, of Catharpin, Va.; admitted through their plea agreements to falsely recording the amount of rockfish they harvested from 2003 to 2007 in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding waterways, with the help and assistance of a Maryland designated check-in station.

In each year, federal prosecutors report, the five men failed to record some of the rockfish they caught, recorded a lower weight of rockfish than was actually caught and falsely inflated on their records the actual number of fish harvested.

"By under-reporting the weight of fish harvested and over-reporting the number of fish taken," prosecutors reported, "the records would make it appear that the defendants had failed to reach the maximum poundage quota for the year, but had nonetheless run out of tags. As a result, the state issued additional tags that could be used by the defendants allowing them to catch striped bass above their maximum poundage quota amount."

According to the plea agreements, prosecutors report, the estimated fair market value of the fish involved in the illegal transactions was $956,285 involving Crowder, between $600,000 and $750,000 with Collins, $342,210 with Hallock, $151,507 with Quade and $100,267 with Dean.

All five men face sentencing hearings in April.

jwharton@somdnews.com