Five southeast Alaska commercial fishermen have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to illegally harvest halibut, in violation of the Lacey Act. The indictment alleges that Jonathan Pavlik, 43, Vincent Jacobson, 51, and Kyle Dierick, 36, all from Yakutat; Michael Babic, 42, from Cordova; and Timothy Ross, 58, from Washington engaged in illegal fishing activities near Yakutat between 2019 and 2023.
According to court documents, Pavlik is accused of separately conspiring with each co-defendant to harvest and land halibut without being present on the vessel for the entire duration of fishing trips. This conduct is alleged to violate federal law and regulations governing commercial halibut fishing. The indictment also states that the defendants falsely reported their catches as creditable to their Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permit balances. IFQ permits are required for anyone commercially fishing for halibut off Alaska.
The group is alleged to be responsible for more than 10,700 pounds of illegally harvested halibut. Additionally, between August 31 and October 11 of last year, Pavlik allegedly sold over 9,600 pounds of halibut caught on one vessel but transferred it illegally to another before landing it for sale.
Pavlik faces four counts of Lacey Act conspiracy as well as five counts each of unlawful sale and false labeling under the Lacey Act. Jacobson, Dierick, Babic and Ross are each charged with one count of conspiracy. Initial court appearances are scheduled over the next two weeks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble in Anchorage. If convicted on all counts, each defendant could face up to five years in prison per count and fines up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska stated: “An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Heyman along with Assistant Director Benjamin Cheeseman from NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement in Alaska. The investigation was conducted by NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement with help from Alaska Wildlife Troopers.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Mac Caille Petursson are prosecuting the case.
This release has been updated due to a spelling error.
