Five commercial fishermen charged in illegal halibut fishing conspiracy

JUNEAU, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging five southeast Alaska commercial fishermen with conspiring to illegally harvest halibut, in violation of the Lacey Act.

According to court documents, Jonathan Pavlik, 43, of Yakutat, Vincent Jacobson, 51, of Yakutat, Kyle Dierick, 36, of Yakutat, Michael Babic, 42, of Cordova, and Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington, all experienced commercial fishermen, each conspired to illegally harvest halibut near Yakutat on multiple occasions between 2019 and 2023.

Court documents allege that Pavlik separately conspired with Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross to illegally harvest and land halibut through various means, including each defendant landing halibut without having been aboard the fishing vessel at all times during the fishing trips, which violates federal law and regulations. The indictment alleges that Pavlik, Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross intentionally falsely reported that the halibut caught was creditable to their respective Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permit balances, which is a permit any individual commercially fishing for halibut in the waters off Alaska is required to have. Pavlik and the three co-conspirators are responsible for over 10,700 pounds of illegally harvested halibut.

The indictment further alleges that between Aug. 31, 2023, and Oct. 11, 2023, Pavlik sold and intentionally made false statements regarding over 9,600 pounds of halibut that was caught on the F/V Bad Intentions but illegally transferred to the F/V New Era before landing for sale.

Pavlik is charged with four counts of Lacey Act conspiracy, five counts of Lacey Act—unlawful sale, and five counts of Lacey Act—false labeling. Jacobson, Dierick, Babic and Ross are each charged with one count of Lacey Act conspiracy. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearances over the next two weeks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in prison for each count and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Assistant Director Benjamin Cheeseman of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division made the announcement.

The NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement Alaska Division is investigating the case, with assistance from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Mac Caille Petursson are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

UPDATE: This release has been updated to reflect a spelling error. 

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