Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler announced today that a commercial fisherman based in Kodiak was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage for violating the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act by threatening a fisheries observer.

On January 11, 2011, Jeffrey Eugene Scott, 45, a resident of Kodiak, Alaska, was sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith to three years probation, with strict conditions to control his interactions with fisheries observers. He will also serve 100 hours of community service and be evaluated for anger management treatment. Scott’s conviction followed his pleas of guilty to two misdemeanor counts.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder, Scott was operator of the fishing vessel (F/V) DUSK and was being investigated for dumping 75 tons of fish in Kodiak Harbor on October 7, 2009. On that day, Scott saw the fisheries observer assigned to his vessel attempting to depart the North Pacific Seafoods facility in Kodiak. He charged the vehicle she was in, pounded on the car, pointed and screamed at her using foul language, then yelled, “I’m gonna get you.” Later the same day, in a meeting with law enforcement officers, Scott stated that if he saw the observer in town, not acting in her official capacity, he could do whatever he wanted to her.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Enforcement Division (Kodiak office) conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.

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