TWO PLEAD GUILTY IN ABALONE CASE
Published on July 11, 2001
© 2001- The Press
Democrat
Michael Coit
Two San Francisco men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to take
abalone for commercial purposes in the latest poaching case
prosecuted by the Sonoma County district attorney.
Sau Van Pham and Chinpin Ou pleaded guilty to avoid facing
trial for the felony offense. They face a year in county jail and a
$10,000 fine after prosecutors agreed not to seek three-year prison
terms and fines of up to $40,000.
They were among five defendants arrested in June 2000 during one
in a series of raids on suspected poaching rings by state Department
of Fish and Game wardens.
The other defendants are Kin Gee, Kim Gee and Duong Luu, all
of Oakland. Their trial is set for Sept. 5.
Commercial abalone fishing is banned across the state.
Sport fishing for red abalone is only allowed north of San
Francisco.
Prosecutors said the men were charged with felony rather than
misdemeanor offenses because they took or had the ability to take
extensive quantities of abalone.
Several of the defendants told undercover wardens they had a
network of divers that could deliver up to 200 pounds of
abalone a week. They sold individual abalone for as
much as $85.
-- Michael Coit Keywords: FISHING CRIME
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