Alaska Wildlife Troopers say five people from Haines were sentenced Thursday in Juneau for commercial fishing during a closed period.
Troopers said in a dispatch the five defendants pleaded ‘no contest’ in Juneau District Court to charges of commercial fishing “over the line,” or outside of allowable boundaries.
Pleading ‘no contest’ means the defendants did not make admissions of guilt, but just chose not to fight the charges against them.
Troopers said all of the charges stemmed from violations in the area within District 15C north of Juneau during the July 8 through July 11 fishing period.
During those three days of fishing, a total of 175 commercial gillnetters caught a reported 340,000 Chum salmon valued at more than $2.3 million dollars, troopers said. Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said those numbers include both legal and illegal catches.
Thomas Williams, 60, was fined $2,000 with $1,000 suspended and ordered to forfeit the value of the fish taken during the illegal set. He was also given one year of probation.
Woody Pahl, 23, was fined a total of $4,000 with $2,000 suspended for two charges, and he was ordered to forfeit the value of the fish taken during the two illegal sets. He was placed on probation for one year.
Brian Oriley, 64, was fined $3,000 with $1,500 suspended and ordered to forfeit 80 percent of the value of the fish taken during the illegal set. He was given on year probation.
Gerald Albecker, 58, was fined $2,000 with $1,000 suspended and ordered to forfeit the value of the fish taken during the illegal set. He was given one year probation.
Martin L. Smith, 42, was fined $3,000 with $1,000 suspended and ordered to forfeit $2,100 worth of illegally taken fish. In addition, Smith had a previous $2,500 in suspended fines added to his probation period of two years.
Troopers say three additional cases are still pending from this fishery.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (19)
Add commentmen steal something highly valued and profitable
and not a single day of jail time. Tiny joke fines and zero jail time. No contest also allowed. We wouldn't want our thieves to have criminal records!
Two thieves- Martin Smith and Brian Oriley don't even have to forfeit all of their illegal catch.
No wonder they kept the judge's name out of the article. What a great way to encourage and reward thieves-let them keep what they stole and leave then with a clean record.
Naked dude
I want to know when someone is going to do something about the naked fat man who is exposing himself to everyone down Gastineau Channel. He is 1/2 mile after the end of the Thane Waterfall run off and equal distance to the dock on the left side of the channel. I have witnessed him flaunting himself and doing down right nasty things when people troll by fishing. A boat with some grandparents and their G-kids floated by and he did a bold face turn-around and posed for them. I know I am not the only one who has seen this dude, something needs to be done. I have not seen a cabin or a tent where he is vegging out, but I have seen a bonfire going on rainy days, he has been there all summer long rain or shine err moon.
Naked Thane Dude
He was down same place last year, struting around in the buff. Liked to show off for the boats, very weird dude to be sure. He wasnt so fat last year, must have chowed on alot of fast food last winter. Yes, they should take him to the looney bin!
Report it?
Have either of you reported this to JPD? That's pretty sick--hope he gets caught!
film
Film him for evidence to get him arrested.
*edit* then upload him to you tube for more ridicule !
Does he perform for the
Does he perform for the tourists on the ships as well?
Sure are...
...a lot of uptight people in this town.
Naked dude
yes JPD was called, they couldnt find him. They didnt walk down far enough to find him strutting around. He is just before Dupont Dock, and I am sure he is there right now posing for people trolling in the derby. The issue is JPD said they dont have a boat to go after him. I dont see why they could not tag along with the Coasties on their Zodiacs. I have seen this freak glaring at us with binocs and he watches for any patrol boats and hides in the bush or behind that large downed tree stump
Hummmm?
Do you think he's a gillnetter?
Do The right thing they are
Do The right thing they are not called thieves they are called relatives. Please don't call them thieves that is a derogatory term and I am sure they are from a “GOOD FAMILY” what ever that is.
No contest is the same plea as guilty.
Either way you are convicted and either way yo do get a criminal record.
The fact remains
They all knew better and I hope they learned from it, well they will certainly remember the money they lost because of it. Gillnet fish are only good for fish sticks, the only quality fish are the ones that are caught on a hook because they don't get abused so much. Hey guy's respect the rules they are in place for a reason. Fish on.
Of corse all of you
I know all of you that are commenting are commercial fishermen, right?
lmarvinhoonah?
I'm not anymore but what is your point? Are you offended by what people are saying regarding the legality of such acts?
fishing
Anyone who has hung off the end of a net knows that it is very easy to go over a line that has its land points miles away. This is especially true when bouncing around in waves with a running tide and busy picking fish. Comments here are as if the guys got caught in the creek with the crewman up stream dumping bleach. Some folks are zealots who live to be critical of what they do not know.
never fished?
It's obvious most of the commenters have never fished...have any of you ever been on a boat? I've been caught "fishing over the line", but only because the hydraulics quit working. Nothing in this incomplete story indicates what the circumstances were. None of those involved are crooks. There is more story here than is being reported.
Standard empire...
Standard empire...
tomas hint
tomas hydraulics quitting is not an excuse, if it was your rigging hydraulics then keep the boat in legal waters if it is your steering hydraulics then pull the lines while your disabled. They all were sentenced which makes me believe they were most likely breaking the law now would I call them crooks, no but what they did was pretty wrong so they are not guiltless