New Jersey Captain and Seafood Buyer Found Guilty of Multiyear Scallop Harvest Conspiracy
Summary
A New Jersey captain and seafood buyer were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States through a multiyear illegal scallop harvesting scheme spanning October 2017 to April 2021. The captain was sentenced on August 4, 2025 to a $10,000 fine, 6-month home confinement, and 2-year term of probation, and is prohibited from holding a NOAA Fisheries Operator Permit or commercial fishing permit. The dealer was sentenced on April 22, 2025 to a $4,000 fine and 2-year term of probation. The investigation began when officers discovered scallops concealed in a hidden compartment during a boarding in April 2021.
“The fisherman and dealer worked together to falsify the legally required fishing vessel trip and dealer reports to cover up the overfishing.”
Clam vessel operators who take scallops as bycatch should review their reporting practices — the investigation identified both hidden catches and falsified dealer reports submitted to NOAA Fisheries as cross-check data. Any inconsistency between trip reports and dealer reports could trigger an investigation similar to this four-year enforcement action.
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What changed
NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement secured convictions against a New Jersey commercial fisherman and seafood dealer for a multiyear scallop harvesting conspiracy involving thousands of pounds of illegal scallops sold to a local dealer. The defendants routinely exceeded clam vessel bycatch limits for scallops from October 2017 to April 2021 and falsified both fishing vessel trip reports and dealer reports to conceal the overfishing. The captain was sentenced to a $10,000 fine, 6-month home confinement, 2-year probation, and a prohibition on holding any NOAA Fisheries Operator Permit or commercial fishing permit; the dealer received a $4,000 fine and 2-year probation.
Commercial fishermen and seafood dealers in the Northeast should be aware that NOAA Fisheries actively cross-references fishing vessel trip reports and dealer reports to identify discrepancies. Clam vessel operators who take scallops as bycatch should ensure they understand and comply with applicable limits. The NOAA Enforcement Hotline (800-853-1964) is available for reporting suspected violations.
Penalties
Captain: $10,000 fine, 6-month home confinement, 2-year term of probation, prohibited from holding NOAA Fisheries Operator Permit or commercial fishing permit. Dealer: $4,000 fine, 2-year term of probation.
Archived snapshot
Apr 22, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
New Jersey Captain and Seafood Buyer Found Guilty of a Multiyear Scallop Harvest Conspiracy
April 10, 2026
NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement led an investigation that uncovered an illegal scallop harvest.
Feature Story | New England/Mid-Atlantic
Hidden compartment on board the captain’s vessel used to conceal scallop overages. NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement uncovered a lucrative scheme devised by a New Jersey captain and seafood dealer to illegally harvest and sell excess scallops. The captain and dealer pleaded guilty; they were sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to commit offense or defraud the United States.
On August 4, 2025, the captain was sentenced to a $10,000 fine, 6-month home confinement, and 2-year term of probation. He has been prohibited from holding a NOAA Fisheries Operator Permit or commercial fishing permit and from completing any Fishing Vessel Trip Reports. On April 22, 2025, the dealer was sentenced to a $4,000 fine and a 2-year term of probation.
This case began in April 2021, when our officers boarded the defendant’s vessel and located scallops concealed in a hidden compartment. Two NOAA Fisheries special agents and our enforcement officers conducted an investigation that lasted more than four years. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection officers assisted us in the investigation.
Our team determined that the New Jersey-based commercial clam vessel fisherman sold thousands of pounds of illegal scallops to a local dealer. The dealer confessed to the violation during the investigation, as did the captain. Because of the high price of scallops, the defendants made substantial profits from the illicit operation.
Clam vessels are authorized to take a limited quantity of scallops as bycatch. This fisherman routinely exceeded these limits from October 2017 to April 2021. He sold thousands of pounds of surplus scallops to the dealer. The fisherman and dealer worked together to falsify the legally required fishing vessel trip and dealer reports to cover up the overfishing. The two reports are typically submitted independently by the fisherman and the dealer to NOAA Fisheries. Data from those reports serve as a cross-check to help ensure the reporting and the data are accurate and compliant.
Northeast Division acting Assistant Director James Cassin praised the outcome of the case: “Our industry members depend on us to help them compete fairly in a challenging environment. Thanks to the persistent efforts of our agents and officers, we stopped offenders from causing harm to our competitive markets and our law-abiding domestic commercial fishermen.”
Criminal acts like these create an unfair competitive advantage. We work diligently to ensure all laws and regulations are followed and pursue legal action against those who violate them. We encourage anyone with knowledge of persons committing marine fishery crimes to call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964. You can reach the Northeast Office of Law Enforcement at (978) 281-9213 (select “option 2” for regulatory compliance) or contact.nmfs.ole.ned@noaa.gov.
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