Ex-lobster co-op head pleads guilty to tax evasion
The former manager of the Spruce Head Fishermen's Cooperative has pleaded guilty to tax evasion and violating a law that prohibits the illegal sale of seafood.
The Bangor Daily News reported that Robert Thompson of St. George, who served as Spruce Head's manager for 20 years, waived a grand jury process in U.S. District Court in Portland on Thursday and instead pleaded guilty. 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.
Thompson could face up to six years in prison and $350,000 in fines.
Read more
Lobster co-op manager arrested in theft investigation
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments