Lobster co-op sues feds to recover seized funds
A lobstermen cooperative in South Thomaston is suing the U.S. government in an attempt to recover $70,000 that was seized from a former manager accused of embezzlement.
The Bangor Daily News reported that the Spruce Head Fishermen's Cooperative filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.
In the lawsuit, the cooperative is asking for $70,000 in funds that were confiscated by federal agents in October 2012 from former manager Robert Thompson, whose dealings with cooperative owner John Price were under a criminal investigation at the time.
Price, whose shellfish company was the cooperative's primary buyer, had pleaded guilty to 12 counts of illegal structuring of currency transactions in January. Thompson is currently not facing any federal charges.
The cooperative had reached a settlement with Thompson and Price in a separate lawsuit that alleged Thompson was responsible for stealing more than $1 million in lobsters that were sold directly to Price, with no proceeds going to other cooperative members. Details of that settlement have not been released.
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