5 fishermen charged in halibut fishing conspiracy

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A federal jury in Alaska returned an indictment Monday charging five Southeast Alaska commercial fishermen with conspiring to illegally harvest halibut.

According to a press release from the Justice Department, court documents claim commercial fishermen Jonathan Pavlik, Vincent Jacobson, Kyle Dierick, Michael Babic and Timothy Ross all conspired to illegally harvest halibut near Yakutat between 2019 and 2023.

Pavlik is charged with four counts of conspiracy, five counts of unlawful sale and five counts of false labeling in violation of the Lacey Act.

The other four defendants are charged with one count of Lacey Act conspiracy.

If convicted, they face up to five years in prison for each count and up to a $250,000 fine.

Court documents allege Pavlik separately conspired with the four men to harvest and land halibut through various means, including landing halibut without having been aboard the fishing vessel at all times during fishing trips. The indictment also alleges the five falsely reported the halibut caught was creditable to their respective Individual Fishing Quota permit balances.

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

An account called the “Legal Defense Fund Justice for Alaskan Fishermen” created a GoFundMe page for Pavlik’s legal defense on July 29. The page has raised $5,120 with a goal of $250,000.

“Jonathan is not guilty of these charges. He has always operated with honesty, transparency, and a deep respect for fisheries regulations,” the page said. “He deserves the chance to defend his name and his future.”

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

Requests for comment by Alaska’s News Source to the five men’s attorneys either went unanswered or were declined.

Editor’s note: Alaska’s News Source makes no representations or warranties of any kind about the authenticity, accuracy, or reliability of any GoFundMe campaign. Any donations you make to such campaigns are strictly at your own risk. If you have any questions related to the authenticity, accuracy, or reliability of a GoFundMe campaign, please contact GoFundMe directly or consult the GoFundMe Guarantee Policy.

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