Five southeast Alaska commercial fishermen have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly conspiring to illegally harvest halibut in violation of the Lacey Act. The indictment charges Jonathan Pavlik, 43, Vincent Jacobson, 51, and Kyle Dierick, 36—all from Yakutat—along with Michael Babic, 42, of Cordova, and Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington.
Court documents state that between 2019 and 2023, the five defendants conspired to illegally harvest halibut near Yakutat. According to the indictment, Pavlik worked separately with each co-defendant to land halibut through illegal means. This included allowing defendants to claim credit for halibut caught on fishing trips even when they were not present on the vessel as required by law. Regulations require individuals commercially fishing for halibut in Alaskan waters to hold an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permit.
The indictment alleges that Pavlik and his co-conspirators falsely reported that the harvested halibut was creditable to their respective IFQ balances. In total, more than 10,700 pounds of illegally harvested halibut are attributed to these actions.
Further allegations state that between August 31 and October 11 of last year, Pavlik sold over 9,600 pounds of halibut that had been caught on the F/V Bad Intentions but was then transferred illegally to another vessel before being landed for sale. He is also accused of making false statements about these sales.
Pavlik faces four counts of Lacey Act conspiracy as well as five counts each of unlawful sale and false labeling under the Lacey Act. Jacobson, Dierick, Babic and Ross are each charged with one count of conspiracy. Initial court appearances are scheduled over the next two weeks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble in Anchorage.
If convicted on all counts, defendants could face up to five years imprisonment per count and fines up to $250,000 per count. Sentencing would be determined by a federal judge according to statutory factors and U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska announced the charges along with Benjamin Cheeseman from NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement’s Alaska Division: “An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The investigation is being conducted by NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement with help from Alaska Wildlife Troopers; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Mac Caille Petursson will prosecute the case.
This release has been updated due to a spelling error.
