ABALONE BUYER FORFEITS BMW
Published on August 24, 2001
© 2001- The Press
Democrat
Clark Mason
A San Francisco man was sentenced Thursday to six months in jail
and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for conspiring to take
abalone illegally from the Sonoma Coast.
Chingpin Ou, 34, also will forfeit a 1997 BMW sedan that was
used to transport abalone as part of the sentence imposed by
Sonoma County Judge Elaine Watters.
Ou is one of four people arrested last year during a sweep
targeting suspected poachers.
Authorities said Ou bought abalone from two divers,
including Sau Van Pham, who was sentenced last week to three months
in jail. The two men pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy.
Three co-defendants are scheduled for trial next month.
Ou told officials he gave away most of the abalone,
but admitted selling about 55 of them.
With prices on the black market averaging $80 to $100 per
abalone, prosecutor Brooke Halsey said Ou made substantial
money.
He urged the judge to impose a longer sentence -- nine months
in jail -- to send a message that could help protect the dwindling
abalone population.
It is illegal to harvest abalone for commercial
purposes. Sport fisherman are limited to three per day and 100 a
year, but there is a proposal to reduce the catch to two per day and
30 per year.
-- Clark Mason Keywords: SENTENCE VEHICLE FISHING
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