Juneau, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler, District of Alaska, announced today that a Kake man was charged in federal court in Juneau for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Troy R. Hanson, 26, of Kake, Alaska, was arraigned on September 16, 2010, before United States Magistrate Judge Leslie Longenbaugh in a one-count information charging the misdemeanor offense of violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Mr. Hanson pled not guilty to the charge.

According to the information, in August 2009, Hanson and a co-defendant illegally possessed a Sea Otter (Enhydra Lutris) in Kake, Alaska.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack S. Schmidt indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $20,000, or both and up to one year of supervised release. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation leading to the charge in this case.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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