BOSTON – A South Portland man working as a Massachusetts fishing boat captain has pleaded guilty to interfering with a U.S. Coast Guard inspection.
Prosecutors say 57-year-old Thomas Simpson pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to destruction or removal of property subject to inspection.
Prosecutors say Simpson, of South Portland, Maine, was the captain of a New Bedford commercial fishing boat in 2014 when he dumped a fishing net into the ocean in defiance of Coast Guard commands to haul it in.
A salvage company later retrieved the net and found it was in violation of commercial fishing regulations.
The vessel was one of several owned by Carlos Rafael, known as “the Codfather,” who was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for violating several fishing regulations.
Simpson faces up to five years in prison at sentencing.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
-
ColumnistsCarl P. Leubsdorf: Is this the end of Bush family dynasty?
-
Editorials
View from Away: Burden of proof is on gun law resistance
-
Portland Sea Dogs
Sea Dogs’ first female coach already having an impact on Red Sox prospects
-
Business
Price of marine fuel soars as Mainers head into prime boating season
-
Obituaries
Obituary: Clyde Libby Jr.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have one? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login to participate in the conversation. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.