Engelhard Fisherman Pleads Guilty to Illegal Striped Bass Harvest

WILMINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office has revealed that JOHN ROBERTS, 45, of Engelhard, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for his role in the illegal harvesting and sale of Atlantic striped bass from federal waters off North Carolina. Roberts was caught fishing and selling over 6,884 pounds of the protected fish, valued at over $55,000.

Roberts’s misdeeds came to light when NOAA received reports in February 2010 that commercial trawlers were poaching striped bass from federal waters. A joint effort by NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard led to the interception of Roberts’s vessel, the Wonder Woman, which he operated at the time.

The investigation revealed that Roberts had exceeded fishing limits and falsely reported his catch locations. His actions contributed to an estimated 90,000 pounds of illegal striped bass taken from North Carolina’s EEZ during the 2010 season. Five other fisherman have already pleaded guilty in related cases.

“These prosecutions make clear that efforts to circumvent commercial fishing regulations will be met with vigorous prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney John Stuart Bruce for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Roberts faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation was carried out by NOAA’s Law Enforcement Offices, with assistance from various law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Banumathi Rangarajan and Trial Attorney Lauren Steele of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 8, 2017.