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SR MAN GUILTY OF FISH, GAME VIOLATIONS
Published on May 6, 1995
© 1995- The
Press Democrat
BYLINE: Bony
Saludes
Staff Writer
PAGE: B1
A Santa Rosa scuba diver who helped crack the biggest
abalone poaching operation in the state's history
pleaded guilty Friday to charges of conspiring to violate
state fish and game laws.
Michael David Kagley, who turned state's evidence in
the case before the Sonoma County grand jury, accepted a plea
agreement calling for him to be placed on probation for three
years.
Superior Court Judge Raymond Giordano set sentencing for
July 7.
As part of the plea agreement, the 35-year-old
construction worker signed a contract with the Sonoma County
District Attorney's Office agreeing to testify at the trial of
his co-defendants.
Kagley was the second of 12 suspects to change their
pleas during the past week.
On Thursday, Michael Anthony Vichi, 38, of Rock
Springs, Wyo., and formerly of Santa Rosa, pleaded no contest
to a conspiracy charge and was ordered to make a $30,000
contribution to a trust fund being established to preserve
abalone resources on the North Coast.
State fish and game officials said the group took
40,000 pounds of abalone with a street value of some
$2.4 million from the Sonoma County coast over a year's time.
The abalone was sold to a fish buyer in San Diego, who
also is under indictment.
Kagley assisted state Fish and Game officials during
their ninemonth investigation into the abalone poaching
operation last year, acting as a confidential informant. He
then testified before the grand jury.
``He's done a lot for this case,'' Deputy District
Attorney Brooke Halsey Jr. said. ``There is a concern about
threats being made against him.''
Kagley said he's gotten threats because of his
testimony. ``It's been a rough thing to go through,'' he said.
Halsey said no agreement was made with Kagley to
contribute money to the new trust fund as in Vichi's case.
Vichi has to make monthly payments of $500 to the fund for the
next five years.
A trial is set June 12 for the remaining 10 defendants.
Among them is Van Howard Johnson, 36, of San Diego,
owner of Ocean Safari Seafood of San Diego. Johnson bought the
abalone and resold it overseas, according to Fish and
Game officials.
Officials said a Santa Rosa couple, Eddie Wayne Blay,
37, and Debra Blay, 35, purchased the illegal abalone
from the scuba divers for $15 a pound and sold it to Johnson
for $25.
Also charged are Jerry Wade Mitchell, 30, Paul Scott
Saunders, 33, Darren Frank Natman, Armantino Leslie Vichi, 31,
August Angelo Vichi, 36, and Arthur Allen Webber, 37, all of
Santa Rosa; and Randall Lee Blay, 24, of Redding.
All are charged with felony conspiracy and numerous
misdemeanor violations of fish and game laws pertaining to the
illegal harvesting of abalone. They can get up to 3
years in prison and $40,000 each in fines if convicted.
Keywords: ANIMAL FISHING
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