Ex-lobster co-op head gets prison time
The former manager of the Spruce Head Fishermen's Cooperative has been sentenced to eight months in prison for tax evasion and illegally selling lobsters.
The Bangor Daily News reported that Robert Thompson, 53, of St. George was given the sentence on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Portland. He pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of violating a law that prohibits the illegal sale of seafood in December.
Spruce Head is one of Maine's largest lobster cooperatives.
Thompson was initially arrested and charged in October 2012 by the Knox County Sheriff's Office for allegedly stealing a large volume of lobsters. He was then sued by Spruce Head for allegedly stealing more than $1 million worth of lobsters from the co-op, though the civil lawsuit was eventually dismissed. The state's theft charge was then dropped in May 2013 in the wake of the federal investigation that resulted in this week's hearing in U.S. District Court.
Source: Bangor Daily News
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