Related Federal Cases
- New Bedford Trio Busted for Saco Drive-By Shooting, Cocaine Trafficking · Massachusetts
- James Leads Push for Senate KOSA Bill Over House Version · New Mexico
- James Battles Trump Admin on Trans Health Ed. · Washington
- James Blocks Trump’s Social Services Cuts · Washington
- James Leads Charge to Shield Haitian Immigrants from Deportation · Washington
New Bedford Fishing Boat Captain Pleads Guilty in Massachusetts
A former New Bedford fishing boat captain has pleaded guilty to interfering with a U.S. Coast Guard inspection of a fishing boat off the Massachusetts coast.
Thomas D. Simpson, 57, of South Portland, Maine, pleaded guilty to one count of destruction or removal of property subject to seizure and inspection in federal court in Boston. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for November 28, 2018.
Simpson was the captain of the Fishing Vessel Bulldog, a New Bedford-based commercial fishing vessel owned by Carlos Rafael, who was sentenced in 2017 to 46 months in prison on various charges related to his commercial fishing business.
On May 31, 2014, the Bulldog was engaged in commercial fishing off the coast of Massachusetts when the U.S. Coast Guard boarded the vessel to perform a routine inspection. Simpson was instructed to haul in the fishing net for inspection, but instead, he let out more cable, causing the net to detach and sink.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hired a salvage company to retrieve the net at a cost of approximately $15,000. An inspection of the net revealed that it had three distinct and separate layers of netting in violation of commercial fishing regulations.
Simpson faces a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin is prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News