Dennis Dopico, vice president of a Miami-based seafood wholesaler, has pleaded guilty to participating in a price-fixing conspiracy involving stone crab claws and spiny lobster purchases in Florida. Court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Miami state that between 2023 and 2025, Dopico conspired with other companies and their employees to coordinate prices paid to fishermen for these seafood products.
The Department of Justice alleges that this agreement suppressed competition and resulted in lower payments to local fishermen for their harvests. Communications cited by prosecutors show that Dopico and his co-conspirators used text messages and phone calls to set and adjust prices together during the harvest seasons. In one exchange from September 28, 2023, after discussing spiny lobster prices with a co-conspirator, Dopico wrote “[d]on’t show text to anyone[.] Confidential,” receiving assurance from the co-conspirator: “I give you my word. We’re working together now not against each other[.]” On October 13, 2023, they discussed matching new stone crab claw prices.
According to the plea agreement filed today, the volume of commerce tied to Dopico’s actions was about $8 million.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division commented on the case: “Criminal conspiracies to deprive hardworking Americans the right to earn a fair wage are untenable in a free society. As the defendant admits, his price fixing conspiracy unfairly took money out of the pockets of hardworking fishermen for years. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to ensure that hard working Americans are paid competitively for an honest day’s work.”
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida added: “Price fixing cheats fishermen, squeezes restaurants, and makes families pay more at the table. We will protect honest competition from the boat to the dinner table.”
Assistant Director Doug Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement stated: “This case highlights the serious consequences of undermining the integrity of our nation’s natural resource markets. Price-fixing schemes not only disrupt fair competition but also threaten American businesses and the sustainability of our valuable fisheries. We remain committed to working with our federal partners to hold accountable those who exploit our natural resources for unlawful profit.”
Dopico is scheduled for sentencing on January 5, 2026; any sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
The investigation is being conducted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, while prosecution is handled by DOJ’s Antitrust Division Washington Criminal Section with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of Florida.
Individuals with information related to this investigation are encouraged to contact DOJ's Antitrust Division Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
