Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Theft, Dec. 20 — A Grinch violated the spirit of Christmas by stealing a nutcracker from the very boughs of a tree in the lobby of the Grand Aleutian hotel.

Trespass, Dec. 21 — Officers issued a trespass advisement, per UniSea management, to a Grinch who had stolen an ornament from a Christmas tree.

Environmental, Dec. 21 — An empty container van was blown by gusting winds from the Horizon Lines yard into a nearby lake.

Noise disturbance, Dec. 21 — Caller reported a nearby wind turbine was creating an awful racket.

Fire response, Dec. 24, 0212 hours — Caller reported a vessel had ruptured its hull and was sinking, with 24 people on board, in Captains Bay. Fire and EMS personnel were toned to the area.

Search and Rescue, Dec. 24, 0213 hours — Fire and EMS personnel responded to a report of a vessel sinking in nearby waters, but found nothing even vaguely resembling an emergency of such nature. The original caller told Public Safety personnel that the vessel was clearly visible and was a submarine, then a 500-foot vessel with hundreds of passengers from which missiles and gunshots had been fired. Caller John F. Courage, 56, of Unalaska, to be charged with filing a false report.

Assault, Dec. 24 — UniSea security reported a fight involving four people, one of whom had walked away from the scene with a considerable amount of blood on his face. Officers contacted this man, who had indeed been in a fight and had suffered mightily as a result, but who refused to provide any information about the other participants.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Sexual assault, Dec. 12 — Crewman on a fishing vessel reported he had been sexually violated by another member of the crew, about two days earlier. Officers were able to substantiate this allegation, and subsequently arrested James Maybe, 46, of Oregon, on one count of sexual assault.

Civil, Dec. 13 — KeyBank staff requested immediate assistance at their local facility. Officers arrived to find one patron arguing with another intoxicated patron about the sale of a exorbitantly priced cell phone. Officers suggested to the seller that perhaps she should wait for the potential customer to sober up before gouging him.

Fire response, Dec. 14 — Fire and EMS personnel responded to an automated alarm for the oil drilling rig Kulluk.

Theft, Dec. 17 — Out-of-town caller reported the theft of some fishing gear from a defunct processing facility. Under investigation.

Kodiak man cited on 'intent to operate' violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Adak
Type: No intent to operate
On 12/7/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Ludger Willie Dochtermann, 68, of Kodiak, for shipping halibut from Adak to Anchorage on a fish ticket without first completing an intent to operate form and receiving written authorization from the Department of Fish and Game to operate as a catcher seller. Arraignment is scheduled for 12/29/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Lost property, Nov. 29 — A skiff, from the Spit Dock.

Trespass, Dec. 1 — Security personnel at a processing plant reported that an unidentified older man has been lurking about their facility in recent days, and becomes aggressive when asked to leave. Security was asked to contact police the next time the stranger is on the property.

Theft, Dec. 3 — Complainant reported an organizational member had misappropriated a considerable sum of money, which was used to pay for an attorney in a civil suit that had not been authorized by the organization. Under investigation.

Animal, Dec. 6 — Friendly female feline forfeited to future family.

Theft, Dec. 10 — Caller reported his pickup truck, which had been parked with the keys in the cab, had been stolen from in front of his home earlier this day. Officers located the stolen vehicle and learned that poor communication and some misinformation had led the crew of a fishing boat to take this particular white Ford pickup in error. No charges were filed.

Two charged with failure to record geoducks

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Klawock
Type: Fail to record fish ticket
On 12/8/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Klawock Post, contacted Robert W. Mead, 41, of Olympia, Wash., aboard the fishing vessel Golden North. Jeffrey Olsen, 41, of Sitka, also was contacted at Absolute Fresh Seafoods in Craig. Olsen is the owner of Absolute Fresh Seafoods. Both Mead and Olsen were summonsed to appear in court for failing to record 100 pounds of commercially caught geoduck clams on an Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish ticket at the time of delivery to Absolute Fresh Seafoods. Arraignment is set for 12/15/10 in Craig District Court.

Yakutat man charged with illegal lingcod catch

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat
Type: Take lingcod in closed waters
On 12/2/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Yakutat contacted Scott Chadwick, 42, of Yakutat. Investigation revealed that Chadwick had commercially harvested a lingcod in closed waters and did not have either a valid 2010 Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission permit or a government-issued photo ID with him when contacted. Chadwick was issued a summons with an arraignment date of 12/16/10 in Yakutat District Court.

Troopers accuse Maine man of permit falsification

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: Unsworn falsification
On 12/1/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Crosby Gillan Leveen, 30, of Manchester, Maine, for receiving a 2010 Alaska resident Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission permit card without meeting the residency requirements set out by the CFEC. Arraignment is scheduled for 12/22/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Six fined at Sitka for herring pound violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Herring pound violations
On 6/15/10 Sitka Wildlife Troopers charged Rudolph K. Johanson, 73, David A. Walker, 36, James A. Tissychy, 38, Rachel A. Williams, 60, and Amy Majors, 24, all of Ketchikan, and Archie W. Demmert, 49, of Klawock, for failing to maintain herring pounds in original configuration. Investigation on 5/14/10 near Emmons Island in Hoonah Sound revealed each permit holder's herring pound webbing had been removed from its original configuration before allowed by regulation. Regulations require the pounds and webbing to remain in place for four weeks after harvest, to allow herring eggs deposited on the gear to hatch. On 12/1/10 all six defendants entered guilty pleas in Sitka District Court. Each defendant was fined $2,500 with $1,250 suspended and placed on probation for a period of one year.

Southeast shrimper hit with multiple violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Craig
Type: Shrimping violations
On 12/4/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, cited Dustin Peters, 33, of Ketchikan, for commercially fishing for shrimp during a closed season, for failing to equip his commercial shrimp pots with a biodegradable escape mechanism, and for longlining more than five commercial shrimp pots on one line without having a buoy attached to both ends of the longline. These violations occurred in the marine waters of Moira Sound near Prince of Wales Island. A mandatory court date was set in the Craig court.

Crewman to be deported after harassment plea

From the U.S. attorney's office:

Dec. 2, 2010

Crewman sentenced for sexual harassment of fisheries observer

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a crewman on a fishing vessel was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage for sexual harassment of a National Marine Fisheries Service observer.

On Nov. 30, Victor D. Chavez-Ramirez, 28, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the United States, admitted that while a crewmember on the fishing vessel F/V Frontier Spirit, from August 2008 through October 2008, he sexually harassed the NMFS observer assigned to the vessel.

After accepting Chavez-Ramirez's guilty plea, U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Smith sentenced him to be immediately deported, imposed a term of probation of three years and imposed a fine of $1,500.

Smith also ordered him to attend sexual harassment training and ordered that he not obtain employment in any fishing-related industry nor any employment on any fishing vessel for the three-year term of probation. Smith imposed these conditions whether or not Chavez-Ramirez was present in the United States.

Additionally, Smith told Chavez-Ramirez that he could not re-enter the United States without first obtaining the permission of the attorney general or his designee.

During sentencing, the victim observer provided the court with a statement about the offense and its impact on her and how it has interfered with her work as a fisheries observer.

"We will not countenance sexual harassment in any business," Loeffler said. "All people have a right to perform their work free from harassment."

The case was investigated by special agents of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with assistance from the Enforcement Removal Operations division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"We take offenses against observers very seriously," said Sherrie Myers, NOAA special agent in charge for Alaska. "These individuals work very long hours in a hazardous marine environ and they are entitled to work in a safe environment, free from any form of assault, harassment or interference. These type of offenses threaten both the observer's safety as well as their ability to collect biological data that is essential for effective management of the fisheries."

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Environmental, Nov. 23 — Construction material from a seafood processing facility was reportedly flying about in the wind. A responsible party from the facility advised that the items were being secured.

Troopers cite two on multiple geoduck violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Craig
Type: Dive fishing violations
On 11/26/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, cited Collin Darrah, 48, of Seattle, and Eric Riemer, 31, of Ketchikan, for commercially diving for geoducks during a closed period, and for operating commercial dive fishing gear during a closed period. Riemer additionally was charged with two counts of failing to properly identify commercially harvested geoducks. Darrah and Riemer committed the violations while diving from the F/V Patricia K in the waters off Cone Island, near Craig, on 11/18/10. The charges were filed in the Craig court.

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Dive fishing violations
On 11/26/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, cited Collin Darrah, 48, of Seattle, and Eric Riemer, 31, of Ketchikan, for commercially diving for geoducks during a closed period, and for operating commercial dive fishing gear during a closed period. Darrah and Riemer committed the violations while diving from the F/V Patricia K in the waters near Cat Island on 11/9/10. The charges were filed in the Ketchikan court.

Crewman accused of sexually harassing observer

From the U.S. attorney's office:

Nov. 24, 2010

Fisherman charged with sexual harassment of fisheries observer

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a Mexican citizen was arrested and charged with sexual harassment of a National Marine Fisheries Service observer while on board a vessel; forcible sexual assault of a NMFS observer while on board a vessel; and interference with a NMFS observer while on board a vessel.

Victor D. Chavez-Ramirez, 28, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the United States, is charged in a three-count information.

On Nov. 18, Chavez-Ramirez was arrested in Dutch Harbor by special agents of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for sexual harassment of a NMFS observer.

At the defendant's arraignment on Nov. 22, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven E. Skrocki alleged that while a crewmember on the fishing vessel F/V Frontier Spirit, from August 2008 through October 2008, Chavez-Ramirez sexually harassed and assaulted the NMFS observer assigned to the vessel and those acts interfered with the observer's ability to collect fisheries data.

During the arraignment proceedings, U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith denied bail and set trial for Jan. 11, 2011, in Anchorage. Smith ordered that Chavez-Ramirez be detained due to his illegal immigration status and the fact that he had previously fled from a prior deportation matter in 2006 in Washington state.

NMFS, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, conducted the investigation of this case.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Welfare check, Nov. 17 — Adult son phoned 911 to report that his father, who was staying with him in order to keep him sober, wouldn't let him leave their hotel room to buy the bottle of vodka that would facilitate his getting to sleep. The son additionally told an officer that he didn't want his father telling him what to do. The officer advised the father that he could not keep his son in the room against the son's wishes.

Domestic disturbance, Nov. 18 — Officers responded to the UniSea facility, where a couple had engaged in a minor altercation following an attempt by the wife to discuss some alleged infidelity on the part of the husband. No charges were filed per the district attorney.

Unsecured premises, Nov. 19 — Harbor officer found an open door at a local business, at a time when the facility was usually closed and locked for the evening. A responsible party could not be located, so an officer checked the premises before allowing the harbor officer to secure the door.

Theft, Nov. 19 — Caller reported he had dropped his cell phone somewhere at Westward Seafoods and believed it had since been stolen, as it had not been returned to him.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Harassment, Nov. 8 — Complainant was upset that he had received a phone call from a perturbed woman who accused him of getting her brother in trouble. He was advised one phone call was not harassment. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the current cost of heating fuel.

Animal, Nov. 9 — Two dogs being walked off their leashes attempted to ascertain dominance through an impetuous rumble.

Motor vehicle accident with damage, Nov. 11 — An intoxicated individual backed his vehicle lightly into another and then left. Officers located Jesse Raymond Weekly, 22, of Unalaska, and invited him to be a guest in our jail on the charges of DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

Nevada man accused of lying to get crew license

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: Crew license
On 11/16/10, while performing a licensing investigation, Alaska Wildlife Troopers from Cordova Post found that Bryson G. Patula, 28, of Reno, Nev., made a false statement on a 2009 resident crewmember duplicate license application by stating he had lost his original license. Further investigation revealed that Patula had never purchased an original 2009 crewmember license. Arraignment is scheduled for 12/29/10 in Cordova District Court.

Dutch Harbor man cited for lack of CDQ permit

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Vessel permit
On 11/10/10 Chad Hoefer, 40, of Dutch Harbor, was cited by Alaska Wildlife Troopers for failing to obtain his Alaska Department of Fish and Game Community Development Quota vessel permit prior to taking or delivering golden king crab. Arraignment was set for 11/24/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Two ticketed at Dutch for vessel ID violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: Vessel identification
On 11/14/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a citation to Keith Harold Colburn, 47, of Redmond, Wash., for operating a commercial fishing vessel without having an Alaska Department of Fish and Game metal triangle plate permanently affixed to the vessel. Arraignment is scheduled for 11/29/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Vessel identification
On 11/14/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a citation to John Carroll Nelson, 50, of North Bend, Wash., for operating a commercial fishing vessel without permanently affixing an Alaska Department of Fish and Game number plate to the vessel. Arraignment is scheduled for 11/29/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Trident reports natural death to troopers

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Akutan
Type: Natural death
On 11/08/10 at 0353 hours, the Alaska State Troopers in Dillingham received a report from Trident Seafoods manager John Babcock. According to Babcock, Tirso T. Tolentino, 50, of Hawaii, was found deceased in his apartment. Investigation revealed that Tolentino had been dealing with serious medical conditions and passed away of natural causes. After the investigation was finished there was no indication of foul play. Tolentino's next of kin was on scene and his body was later released to the family.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Ambulance request, Oct. 31 — EMS responded to the airport to transport a patient from the Coast Guard helicopter to the clinic.

Drug law violation, Nov. 1 — Doorman reported a line of cocaine was found in the men's room. Investigation did not reveal the owner, and surprisingly no one claimed they had lost the expensive powder. The cocaine was seized for destruction.

Roads, Nov. 2 — Public Safety notified the roads chief of the first icy roads of the year.

Assistance rendered, Nov. 3 — Officer settled a disagreement between a captain and resigning employee. The employee was to be given money for travel expenses to return home. The captain needed him to sign a form before receiving the money. The employee would not sign the form before receiving the money and the captain would not hand over the money until the form was signed. The officer offered to act as broker and hold the money while the form was signed, which the squabbling pair accepted as more reasonable than the current zero-sum game they were pursuing.

Drug law violation, Nov. 5 — A vessel captain reported one of the crewmembers was smoking OxyContin and marijuana. An officer contacted another crewmember who stated the accused had taken a drug test which came out clean prior to coming to Unalaska. The officer then contacted the suspect, who asserted he was clean and allowed a search of his person and stateroom which revealed nothing of interest.

Ambulance request, Nov. 5 — EMS responded to a crapulent and injured man observed lying in the snow with no jacket.

Crabber in a pinch over undersized catch

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Possess undersized king crab
On 11/3/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Brett Alan Robinson, 50, of Mukilteo, Wash., for possessing undersized commercial Bristol Bay red king crab. Arraignment is scheduled for 11/24/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Animal, Oct. 25 — Caller reported a long-winded dog barking in the back of a truck. The truck left minutes later, thus removing the problem, or at least moving it to another area.

Assistance rendered, Oct. 26 — A father reported irritation at his two intoxicated adult sons. Upon arrival, officers assisted one snoring son into his bed for a more comfortable sleep. The other was found in his room, muttering threats against his brother. Officers fetched him his Archie comic book, which pacified the situation.

Suspicious activity, Oct. 26 — After receiving report of possible gunshots heard on a vessel leaving the dock, the harbor office was contacted and relayed the information that the vessel was setting off fireworks.

Drunk disturbance, Oct. 28 — A bruised fighter regaled officers with several stories of an epic altercation, but then claimed he had neither seen, heard, nor participated in any such event. Although others in the room were found to be involved in the fisticuffs, no one wished to pursue charges.

Trespass, Oct. 28 — Pugnacious disputant from the previous call returned to the hotel 10 minutes after being informed he would be arrested if found at the location again. Justin Michael Haggart, 29, of Vancouver, Wash., was charged with trespass.

Ambulance request, Oct. 29 — Zealous dancer injured neck while performing a somersault.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Suspicious activity, Oct. 19 — Officer contacted a group of divers who had detonated a seal bomb to scare away a sea lion. The group was advised about local ordinances which prohibit this activity.

Haines man accused of cutting gear fined $1,250

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Update — interfere with subsistence gear
On 10/13/10 Brian A. O'Riley, of Haines, pled no contest in Sitka District Court to one count of criminal mischief. The charge resulted from O'Riley intentionally damaging a subsistence longline set for halibut in the Sitka area on 6/11/10. O'Riley was fined $2,500 with $1,250 suspended, ordered to pay restitution to the victim and placed on probation for one year.

Sitka salmon fisherman cited for late fish tickets

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Late fish tickets
On 10/19/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post, cited George R. Eliason, 58, of Sitka, for failing to submit commercial salmon fish tickets within seven days as required by regulation. Arraignment is set for 10/26/10 in Sitka District Court.

Troopers ticket Bristol Bay fish buyer

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Naknek
Type: Failure to notify of intent to operate
On 10/19/10 King Salmon Wildlife Troopers served a citation to Shannon L. Ford, 35, of Federal Way, Wash., for failing to notify the Alaska Department of Fish and Game of her intent to operate as a commercial fish buyer in Bristol Bay prior to purchasing commercially caught salmon. Arraignment is set for 11/17/10 in Naknek District Court.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Theft, Oct. 10 — Caller, understandably upset about not being able to make grilled ham and cheese sandwich, reported his groceries were being pilfered from a community kitchen at his bunkhouse.

Drunk disturbance, Oct. 12 — Grocery store employee reported finding a drunken man passed out in the public restroom. The inebriate took a taxi to his vessel after an officer ensured that he did not need any medical care or other attention.

Suspicious persons, Oct. 13 — Officer observed two men, one of whom departed as soon as the officer made his presence known, in an area little frequented by the public. The remaining man, who was moderately intoxicated, told the officer that he and his friend often spent time there because they were not allowed to drink alcohol on their boat.

Disorderly conduct, Oct. 14 — Drunken crew members of two vessels from the quasi-reality show "Deadliest Catch" squared off against each other in the lobby of the Grand Aleutian hotel. Those interviewed claimed "bad blood" between the two vessels had instigated the altercation.

Trespass, Oct. 15 — An intoxicated male requested an equally intoxicated female be asked to leave his residence. He was concerned she would become violent once she heard the request. An officer informed her she needed to leave, and she happily departed after hugging the complainant.

Traffic crime, Oct. 15 — A Chevy Blazer impeded traffic in front of the PCR (Parks, Culture and Recreation) by repeatedly starting and stopping. An officer was unable to locate the vehicle, suggesting it finally ceased stopping repeatedly.

Dungeness crabber charged with overtime fishing

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Commercial fish closed season
On 8/24/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers located five commercial Dungeness crab pots still fishing past the season closure of 8/15/10. All five pots were inspected and seized. AWT records show that the crab gear belonged to Wayne Endicott, 37, of Spokane, Wash. On 10/13/10, Endicott was charged in Sitka District Court with commercial Dungeness crab fishing during a closed season. He was given a court date of 10/26/10.

Two sentenced in subsistence halibut scheme

From the U.S. attorney's office in Anchorage:

Oct. 14, 2010

Restaurant owner, fisherman sentenced for Lacey Act violation

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler announced that on Oct. 13, a Juneau fisherman and the former owner of a Juneau restaurant were sentenced in federal court in Juneau for violating the Lacey Act by engaging in commercial transactions for halibut that was caught for subsistence purposes.

U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess sentenced David Skrzynski, 58, of Juneau, to 12 months in prison, and Jason Maroney, 39, of Seattle, to 10 months in prison. Judge Burgess ordered that Maroney's imprisonment be served as community confinement.

Maroney, the owner and operator of the former Doc Waters Pub in Juneau, took part in a continuing scheme of purchasing subsistence-caught halibut for resale in the restaurant, a violation of federal regulations. Maroney pled guilty to purchasing subsistence fish from two sources.

Skrzynski, a commercial salmon fisherman, provided fish to Maroney. Skrzynski holds a valid Subsistence Halibut Registration Certificate (commonly known as a SHARC card), which allows him to fish for halibut for subsistence purposes. However, federal regulations prohibit the commercial sale of subsistence halibut.

A second fisherman who provided halibut to Maroney is now deceased.

Maroney pled guilty to transactions involving 4,000 pounds of illegally caught halibut, of which over 3,700 pounds was provided by Skrzynski. Maroney paid over $16,500 for the halibut. Maroney paid $4 to $5 per pound for the fish, significantly less than he would have paid for legally harvested halibut.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Burgess recognized the seriousness of the case by stating that this type of violation "absolutely undermines the National Marine Fisheries Service's ability to manage the fishery."

Loeffler commended the NMFS Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Enforcement Division, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Skrzynski and Maroney.

E-hotline set up for reporting enforcement abuses

From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

Sept. 27, 2010

NOAA announces fisheries law enforcement complaint e-hotline

NOAA is committed to improving its communications with its constituents and stakeholders. Issues surrounding law enforcement are sensitive, and fishermen may be afraid to come forward to report problems. NOAA already has a website for the public to provide information involving current investigations or to report possible violations of law, and an enforcement hotline that is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, (800) 853-1964.

In order to provide further protection to anyone who has information regarding enforcement improprieties by NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement or enforcement attorneys, NOAA will establish another hotline — this one specifically to report unfair or overzealous enforcement actions or other breaches of conduct by NOAA enforcement agents or attorneys. This enforcement complaint e-hotline will be a link on the NOAA homepage that will allow stakeholders to report any issues to NOAA management through a specific e-mail address, OLE.ComplaintHotline@noaa.gov, that will go directly to NOAA headquarters. Any complaints received will be reviewed at headquarters and, as necessary, investigated further.

This should provide fishermen and other members of the regulated community a mechanism for raising issues about NOAA law enforcement without fear of reprisal. NOAA will evaluate the effectiveness of the enforcement complaint hotline after one year to ensure that it is providing an appropriate outlet for enforcement complaints. If it is not working, NOAA will take additional actions to ensure that if the regulated community has issues with NOAA enforcement, they will be heard.

Dutch Harbor report, dumb and dumber edition

From the local police blotter:

Animal, Sept. 27 — Caller reported a dead dog in her neighbor's yard. An officer contacted the neighbor who, from his vantage point at a window, was unable to identify the dog. Upon closer inspection of the carcass, the officer found that the dead dog was actually a stuffed animal which had mysteriously found its way out of the neighbor's house and into the yard before expiring. The limp and lifeless plush toy was returned to its owner, whose living dog promptly escaped and ran away.

Assault, Sept. 29 — Officers were called to UniSea Inc. regarding an alleged assault which had taken place in a bunkhouse hallway. Investigation revealed that two drunken sots had accosted another man in a hallway, frightening him into believing that he was about to be injured.

Traffic crime, Oct. 1 — Caller reported a very slow-moving vehicle, apparently operated by a visiting film crew, was impeding traffic. A fire officer advised the driver to be cognizant of their effect on traffic.

Theft, Oct. 4 — Caller reported his rubber raft had been stolen from the small-boat harbor, sometime in the last nine or 10 days. He had already searched for the raft without success. Under investigation.

Traffic crime, Oct. 4 — Driver reported that the driver of a Subaru wagon had driven up a ramp at the batch plant and flown over the top of the ramp, landing on the roadway in front of him and nearly causing a collision. Under investigation.

Theft, Oct. 5 — Caller reported the theft of several thousand dollars worth of copper pipe. Under investigation.

Ambulance request, Oct. 6, 1414 hours — Caller reported a young boy who appeared to need assistance clinging to a raft in Captains Bay.

Assistance rendered, Oct. 6, 1421 hours — Officers responding to a medical emergency learned a young boy wearing waders was knee-deep in water and holding a line attached to his raft while he waited for his dog to return to him. The boy was not in need of any assistance.

Assistance rendered, Oct. 6 — A burly boy standing in front of the Unalaska post office asked an officer how come the post office ain't open no more on Saturdays. The officer read aloud the sign next to the man, which stated that the post office was open on Saturdays.

Assist other agency, Oct. 8 — FBI agent contacted the police department regarding a former resident of Unalaska who was convicted of several murders and was a suspect in several other missing person cases.

Two charged with exceeding sea cucumber limit

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Unlawful possession of sea cucumbers
On 10/10/10 Scott Vorrath, 47, of El Cajon, Calif., and Douglas R. Cox, 47, of Vancouver, Wash., were charged with unlawful possession of commercially caught sea cucumbers. Vorrath and Cox had participated in the 2009 sea cucumber fishery, and on 10/5/09 had exceeded their daily limit of 2,000 pounds by 432 pounds each. Both had reported the overage to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and then left the state after the fishery was over. Vorrath and Cox recently returned to the Sitka area and were personally served a summons for the charge of unlawful possession of commercially caught sea cucumbers. Each was given a court date of 10/19/10 in Sitka District Court.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Assistance rendered, Sept. 19 — Police personnel responded to the Alaska Ship Supply store on Salmon Way after receiving a report of a fire. After police had evacuated the building and determined there was no smoke or visible flames, the scene was turned over to fire personnel.

Assistance rendered, Sept. 19 — A man who wished to obtain copies of his own cell phone records came to the Unalaska Department of Public Safety because his cell phone service provider told him he needed a search warrant for his own records. An officer explained that he had been misinformed, and suggested he contact his service provider and explain their error to them.

Suspicious activity, Sept. 21 — Officer noticed unusually dark smoke coming from an industrial building at the UniSea seafood plant. Security personnel were notified and they subsequently contacted their maintenance crew about the problem.

Assistance rendered, Sept. 21 — Officers mediated a dispute over employment and pay between the captain of a foreign vessel and a recently terminated foreign employee of said vessel.

Theft, Sept. 21 — A man fled the Alaska Ship Supply liquor store after he was caught shoplifting by an eagle-eyed and crafty store clerk. The suspect, whose crime was captured on surveillance video, has been identified. Action pending.

Lost property, Sept. 22 — Nokia cell phone, near Westward Seafoods.

Suspicious person, Sept. 22 — A woman reported that a creepy, intoxicated man impersonating a member of the Grand Aleutian maintenance staff had tried to weasel his way into her hotel room, claiming he wanted to change her smoke alarm batteries. The creep, who did not harm the woman or enter her room, was later identified by police and given a trespass advisement.

Suspicious activity, Sept. 24 — Caller reported a half-dozen youths engaged in a paintball battle in the local cemetery. An officer responded and admonished the youths about their choice of battleground.

3 Ketchikan trollers fished illegally, troopers say

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 9/30/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, contacted Tyson D. Ross, 37, of Ketchikan, commercial hand trolling onboard the F/V Tradition in closed waters outside the Neets Bay terminal harvest salmon fishery. Formal charging documents will be filed in Ketchikan District Court.

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 9/30/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, contacted Colby Slanager, 19, of Ketchikan, commercial hand trolling onboard the F/V Tide Change in closed waters outside the Neets Bay terminal harvest salmon fishery. Formal charging documents will be filed in Ketchikan District Court.

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 9/30/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, contacted Schyler Stahl, 20, of Ketchikan, commercial hand trolling onboard the F/V Fish Finder in closed waters outside the Neets Bay terminal harvest salmon fishery. Formal charging documents will be filed in Ketchikan District Court.

Homer man charged with filing late fish tickets

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Homer
Type: Failure to submit fish tickets
On 9/30/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Everett Anderson, 60, of Homer, for failing to submit state fish tickets to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game within seven days as required. The fish tickets submitted also lacked the information required by regulation. Anderson's court date is scheduled for 10/26/10 in Homer District Court.

Troopers accuse Homer teen of driftnet violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Soldotna
Type: Anchoring commercial driftnet to beach
Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to 17-year-old Iosif I. Martishev of Homer for intentionally anchoring a drift gillnet to the beach near Silver Salmon Creek. Martishev also was cited for using an improperly marked buoy on his fishing gear. Arraignment is scheduled for 10/19/10 in Homer District Court.

Who dumped 300 pounds of fish, roe at Sitka?

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Wasted fish and herring eggs
On 9/28/10 Sitka Wildlife Troopers discovered approximately 300 pounds of wasted halibut, salmon, lingcod and herring eggs dumped near the woods off of Blue Lake Road. All of the fish was in Ziploc and vacuum-sealed bags. Evidence was collected and all fish products were seized. If anyone has information regarding this case, please contact AWT at 747-3254 or call the Fish and Wildlife Safeguard hotline at (800) 478-3377. Rewards are available for information leading to the prosecution of offenders.

Sitka troller was late with fish tickets, troopers say

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Failure to submit fish tickets
On 9/24/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post, cited Gary R. Egerton, 62, of Sitka, for failing to submit commercial salmon troll tickets within the seven days required by regulation. Egerton is scheduled to appear in Sitka District Court for arraignment.

Craig man gets fine, probation for salmon violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Update — unlawful possession of king salmon
On 9/14/10 Charles E. Boothman, 45, of Craig, pled guilty in Ketchikan District Court to a charge of unlawful possession of commercially caught king salmon during a closed season. Boothman was placed on probation for one year and fined $3,000 with $1,500 suspended. Five forfeited king salmon were donated to charity.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Suspicious activity, Sept. 14 — Caller reported four strangers with long guns had jumped in the back of a pickup and were heading towards downtown Unalaska. An officer located the men, who were identified as U.S. Coast Guard crewmen who had been hiking and fox hunting in the hills outside of town.

Environmental, Sept. 14, 1842 hours — Concerned citizen reported people using weighted hooks to snag fish near Church Hole. Responding officers found many people in the area but did not observe any illegal activity or equipment.

Environmental, Sept. 14, 1944 hours — Officer observed two men fishing with weighted treble hooks near Church Hole on the Iliuliuk River. Both men received citations and lengthy lectures on the value of protecting and preserving the community's natural resources. One of the men so cited repeatedly asked if it was legal for police to "sneak" in order to perform their jobs and was assured that this was a legal and worthy quality in a police officer.

Welfare check, Sept. 16 — Second-hand report that a man had been missing for five days. The investigating officers discovered that the missing man had simply found a job.

Drunk disturbance, Sept. 16 — Officers investigated yet another assault with food items, this time a pizza from Harbor View bar. A fight broke out between two bar patrons when one man elbowed the other's pizza, after which a piece of pizza pie was slapped onto the side of the elbower's face. The two men, who received minor injuries in the ensuing scuffle, later apologized and went their separate ways.

Trespass, Sept. 18 — Officer issued a trespass advisement per UniSea security to an inebriate who had recently been found sleeping in a UniSea company vehicle.

EMS, Sept. 18 — An ambulance stood by at the Unalaska Triathlon.

Warrant arrest, Sept. 18 — Anthony Hannon, 24, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for assault. The charge stemmed from an incident in which Hannon allegedly slapped a woman with raw egg in his hand.

Domestic disturbance, Sept. 19 — Officers responded to a report that a man had shoved a woman into his car and then driven away with her. Officers located the couple, who denied that any argument had ensued and said they had planned to sleep in their car in the hotel parking lot because their employer had not yet assigned them a room together.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Assault, Sept. 5 — A man with runny, raw egg on his hand slapped a bartender at the Harbor View bar, spreading scrambled yolk and albumin about her face and in her hair. The man, who had fled the area before officers arrived, later told police he had simply wiped the broken egg on the bartender's face. Charges pending.

Motor vehicle accident with damage, Sept. 6 — The driver of a small, dark vehicle rammed the UniSea liquor store and then quickly drove away after surveying the damage to her car. Officers contacted Julie Guitard, 23, of Unalaska, after a witness identified her as the driver. Guitard, who was intoxicated, denied any involvement. She was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of an accident, failure to immediately report an accident, driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a chemical test.

Suspicious activity, Sept. 6 — Employees of a local business shot several emergency flares into the night sky, causing officers of both the Ports and Public Safety departments to expend considerable time searching for the source of something that was not in fact an emergency.

Assault, Sept. 7 — An obnoxious, inebriated man who spent some hours repeatedly grabbing the buttocks of another bar patron challenged the bar patron to a fight and was promptly punched in the face, causing significant swelling and bleeding. No charges were filed.

Trespass, Sept. 7 — Two men involved in a fight outside of Harbor View bar were told not to return to any UniSea liquor facility for a period of six months.

Assistance rendered, Sept. 8 — A young man was threatened by the vexed brothers of the two teenage girls he was alternately dating. The man sped away with the school girl of the day in his truck, striking one of the brothers with the rearview mirror of his truck while sustaining damage to his truck from a rock thrown by a third concerned party. None of those involved wished to pursue charges.

Ambulance request, Sept. 9 — Caller requested an ambulance to take a woman from a boat to the clinic.

Craig fisherman charged with illegal bait harvest

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Craig
Type: Illegal bait harvest
On 8/27/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Klawock Post, cited Donald Albright, 57, of Craig, for harvesting commercial-caught lingcod and yelloweye rockfish and illegally using these prohibited species as bait for commercial purposes. He was summonsed to appear in Craig District Court.

Setnetter accused of illegal fishing at Yakutat

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat
Type: Commercial fish closed season
On 9/8/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Eric Baker, 50, of Milwaukie, Ore., at the Middle Italio River south of Yakutat. Investigation revealed that Baker had been fishing during a closed season on the previous day in the Middle Italio River. Baker was issued a summons with an arraignment date of 9/30/10 in Yakutat District Court.

Petersburg fisherman fined $500 after gillnet plea

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Juneau
Type: Undersized mesh
On 9/8/10 Terry J. Smith, 55, of Petersburg, pled guilty in Juneau District Court to one count of operating a commercial drift gillnet with undersized mesh. Smith was fined $500. The charge originated when Alaska Wildlife Troopers found that the beginning 10 fathoms of Smith's driftnet had undersized mesh. The inspection was conducted during routine patrol near Circle Point in District 11B.

A timeout for the Teri Lynn

A U.S. Coast Guard skiff tails the fishing vessel Teri Lynn on Sept. 6 in the western Gulf of Alaska. A boarding team from the cutter Acushnet ordered the boat to port at King Cove after finding safety violations including an inoperable high-water alarm system, inadequate fire extinguishing gear and an expired EPIRB. The Teri Lynn was able to sail the next day after fixing the problems, the Coast Guard said. The boarding team also ordered the cod boat St. Francis to port due in part to improper survival suits. USCG photo

Kodiak cod fisherman sentenced for illegal catch

From the U.S. Attorney's Office in Anchorage:

Sept. 10, 2010

Kodiak fisherman sentenced for Lacey Act violations

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a commercial fisherman based in Kodiak was sentenced to four years probation, and was ordered to forfeit over $117,000 in proceeds of his fishing activities, for violations of the Lacey Act.

Thomas Millman, 73, who currently lives in Minnesota, pled guilty today to four counts of Lacey Act violations and was thereafter sentenced by U.S. District Judge John W. Sedwick.

According to court documents, Millman violated the Lacey Act by selling Pacific cod caught in violation of Alaska state law. Millman, the owner and operator of the fishing vessel Four Daughters, caught the cod in areas along the Aleutian Islands closed by the state of Alaska to protect the Steller sea lion.

Millman admitted to illegally catching over 250,000 pounds of Pacific cod worth over $73,000 during 2005.

"Enforcement of fisheries laws is an essential tool for protecting one of our nation's most valuable resources," Loeffler said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Enforcement Division (Kodiak office) conducted the investigation leading to Millman's conviction.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Trespass, Aug. 29 — An inebriated, clumsy and obstinate man was issued a trespass advisement, per his former captain, and was advised not to return to the boat on which he was formerly employed.

Welfare check, Sept. 1 — Caller reported a mud-covered, intoxicated man walking along the roadway. An officer responded and found a man who was mud-covered and intoxicated. Due to the lack of taxis at that hour of the morning, courtesy transport was provided for the mucky man.

Troopers cite Wrangell sablefish fisherman

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Wrangell
Type: Failure to register permit
On 9/8/10 Charles J. Petticrew Sr., 65, of Wrangell, was issued a summons for failing to register an eastern Gulf coast sablefish permit prior to fishing from the F/V Arlice. Arraignment is set for 9/20/10 in Wrangell District Court.

Kenai River dipnetter arrested, boat seized

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Soldotna
Type: False license application
On 7/24/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Robert Dodge, 44, of Oregon, at the Kenai City Dock. Dodge was participating in the Upper Cook Inlet personal use salmon fishery (dipnetting on the Kenai River), which is open to Alaska residents. Investigation revealed Dodge provided a false name during the initial contact. Information obtained during the investigation lead to the execution of a search warrant, at which time Dodge's 2005 ATEC boat was seized and an arrest warrant was obtained. On 9/4/10 the Anchorage Police Department executed the arrest warrant and remanded Dodge to the Anchorage jail on the following charges: making a false statement on a license application, prohibited conduct, criminal impersonation and making a false report. Dodge's bail is currently $2,500.

A weird case of weir sabotage

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Anchor Point
Type: Assault, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief
On 6/8/10 at approximately 1400 hours, several employees from the Alaska Department and Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were installing the weir on the Anchor River, just upstream from the Old Sterling Highway, when a large amount of debris floated down the river into them. The debris consisted of large trees, stumps and logs. Investigation revealed that Christopher Vigue, 46, of Anchor Point, intentionally placed the debris in the river in attempt to sabotage the weir installation. Vigue's actions placed seven people in risk of serious injury, and placed two people in fear that they would actually be injured by the debris. On approximately 9/3/10, Vigue was issued summonses to appear in court on charges of assault, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.

Yakutat trio charged with illegal fishing

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 8/29/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Sheri Nelson, 54, of Yakutat, near the Situk River. Investigation revealed that Nelson had been fishing during a closed period. Nelson was issued a summons with an arraignment date of 9/30/10 in Yakutat District Court.

Location: Yakutat
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 8/29/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Ronnie Converse, 57, of Yakutat, near the Situk River. Investigation revealed that Converse had been fishing during a closed period. Converse was issued a summons with an arraignment date of 9/30/10 in Yakutat District Court.

Location: Yakutat
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 8/29/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted George Valle, 53, of Yakutat, near the Situk River. Investigation revealed that Valle had been fishing during a closed period. Valle was issued a summons with an arraignment date of 9/30/10 in Yakutat District Court.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Assistance rendered, Aug. 25 — Caller reported a disoriented, intoxicated man wandering about at the City Dock. Officers found a habitual sleepwalker who had woken up in a wet WWII bunker and had walked towards the lights at the City Dock upon awakening. Officers escorted the man, who had arrived in town only a few hours earlier, back to his employer.

Suspicious activity, Aug. 25 — Caller reported screaming from the area of the footbridge near the library. She was unsure whether the screams were from foxes or women. Officers responding to the area found numerous foxes actively involved in the annual consummation of their relationship.

Theft, Aug. 27 — Caller reported his iPhone and a sleeping bag were stolen from his stateroom on board the F/V Alaska Warrior. Under investigation.

Suspicious person, Aug. 28 — A man reported his former roommate had attempted to poison him with tainted mouthwash five months ago, that he sent the mouthwash and $100 to a laboratory in Mexico (but has received no information in return) and that he wants his former roommate, who has since left the country, to answer questions in court. An officer advised the man that evidence of some sort might strengthen his case.

Drunk disturbance, Aug. 29, 0302 hours — Captain of a vessel reported two intoxicated, obnoxious men tried to fight with him when he asked them to leave his vessel. The boors had fled by the time officers arrived.

Trespass, Aug. 29, 0404 hours — Three drunken boors crept back on board a vessel and continued to harass the captain. Officers located the obnoxious oafs and issued a trespass advisement per the captain's request.

Undercover drug probe nets four in Petersburg

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Petersburg
Type: Drug offenses
On 8/26/10 at approximately 1723 hours, the Alaska State Troopers Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs (SEACAD) Task Force, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, U.S. Forest Service, Petersburg Police Department, Ketchikan Police Department and SEACAD canine Justice executed three search warrants in Petersburg and arrested three subjects. These arrests are the result of a three-month undercover investigation in Petersburg by SEACAD into the sale and distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription drugs. Those arrested were Renee Lester, 27, of Petersburg; Tabetha Taylor, 19, of Petersburg; and Ryan Snidarich, 19, of Petersburg. A fourth suspect, Eric Walker, 36, of Anchorage, was arrested on 8/25/10 as he attempted to depart town at the Petersburg airport. During Walker's arrest, a small amount of cocaine was found in his possession which resulted in an additional charge. Additional subjects have been identified and the investigation is ongoing.

Gun pulled in fish fight at Port Moller

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Port Moller
Type: On 8/28/10 Alaska State Troopers based in King Salmon flew to Port Moller to investigate a reported assault involving a firearm. Investigation revealed that commercial fisherman Scott Oglesbee, 48, of Arizona, got into a verbal argument with another commercial fisherman. The argument escalated over a fishing area to the point that Oglesbee pointed a firearm in the direction of the other commercial fishermen while fishing near Port Moller on 8/25/10. Oglesbee vacated Port Moller while troopers were en route. This case remains under investigation.

Crewman, employer cited on license violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Chignik
Type: Unlicensed crewman
On 8/22/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Kodiak Post, cited Cale Stepanoff, 19, of Chignik, for not having a commercial crewmember license, and Arthur Pedersen, 52, of Chignik, for employing an unlicensed crewmember. Investigation revealed that Pedersen hired Stepanoff to work on board the F/V Kadiak in the Chignik area while Stepanoff did not have a commercial crewmember license. Bail was set at $260 for both.

Dutch Harbor crewman arrested on warrant

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Arrest
On 9/2/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers cited Marco Anthony Ramirez, 32, of Chicago, for purchasing a 2010 Alaska resident commercial fishing crewmember license while not meeting the residency requirements. Investigation also revealed Ramirez had an outstanding $500 Soldotna State Troopers bench warrant. Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers arrested Ramirez on the warrant. Arraignment is scheduled for 9/3/10 in the Unalaska District Court.

Sitka man accused of illegal Dungeness crabbing

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Commercial crab closed season
On 8/27/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post, cited Reginald I. Baggen, of Sitka, for commercial fishing during a closed season for Dungeness crab. More than 70 of Baggen's pots were located still fishing in the Peril Strait area 8/23/10. The season closed 8/15/10. Baggen was summoned to Sitka District Court for arraignment on 9/14/10.

Troopers say Craig troller caught kings illegallly

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: King salmon violations
On 08/27/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, issued a summons to Charles Elton Boothman, 45, of Craig, for negligently hand trolling on the fishing vessel Sydney Jean in marine waters near Snail Rock, 35 miles south of Ketchikan, and unlawfully retaining five commercially caught king salmon during a closed season. All five kings were under the legal size limit of 28 inches. Boothman also was charged for unlawful possession. Arraignment is set for 9/15/10 in Ketchikan District Court.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Theft, Aug. 17 — Officer investigated the theft of approximately $4,000 from a man living in a processing plant bunkhouse. Several suspects were identified. Under investigation.

Criminal mischief, Aug. 18 — Business employee reported that labor union personnel were stirring up trouble on the work site by leaving vulgar messages, directed at other union members, in public locations.

Theft, Aug. 21 — A man who had lent money to another man several months ago reported that the borrower refused to pay him back. While an officer was speaking to the complainant, the borrower returned from a visit to the ATM with the man's payment.

Animal, Aug. 21 — Caller reported a dog trying to get at a tote full of rabbits. The responding officer located the dog's owner, and also discovered that someone had captured rabbits on Hog Island and brought them to Unalaska Island to make pets out of them.

Man attempts to land halibut without credentials

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: No CFEC card
On 8/22/10 Ivan Seledkov, 30, of Woodburn, Ore., was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Cordova Post, for possessing and attempting to land approximately 7,638 pounds of commercially caught halibut without a 2010 Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission card. Arraignment was set for 9/1/10 in Cordova District Court.

Inept bear does a number on GMC Yukon

Now just imagine if this beast found a sockeye or a sandwich or something in the car!

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: King Salmon
Type: Destruction of property
On 8/21/10 John Fundeen, 66, of King Salmon, reported a brown bear had somehow gained entry to a parked vehicle in a residential driveway and caused significant damage. Alaska Wildlife Troopers responded and documented the near total destruction of the vehicle, a 2004 GMC Yukon, to include all seats in the vehicle, both rear doors and a significant portion of the headliners. In addition all four vehicle doors were damaged when the bear made entry and attempted to exit the vehicle. Damage is estimated at over $10,000. No evidence of food or attractants in the vehicle was apparent.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Assistance rendered, Aug. 6, 2001 hours — A dipsomaniac asked police to come to his house and carry him from his chair to his bed, as he was unable to make this journey himself and nobody else would agree to help him.

Ambulance request, Aug. 6, 2011 hours — Officer requested an ambulance for a drunk who couldn't get out of his chair.

Assault, Aug. 7 — A man with a bloody lip reported he had been assaulted by two coworkers in a stairwell of a UniSea bunkhouse. Initial reports and surveillance footage seemed to indicate that the victim may have been the initial aggressor in the altercation. Under investigation.

Welfare check, Aug. 10 — Driver reported he had nearly struck an intoxicated man who was wearing dark clothing and walking in the roadway. An officer located the man in question and provided him with courtesy transport to his vessel.

Drunk disturbance, Aug. 10 — Officers responded to Westward Seafoods, where a drunken man who repeatedly identified himself as a German nationalist had allegedly made remarks to his roommate's girlfriend, indicating his intentions that she cook and clean for him. Both the roommate and his girlfriend were most offended by his remarks. The drunken nationalist was moved to another room.

Traffic crime, Aug. 11 — Caller reported a driver had run a stop sign. An officer located the suspect driver, a visitor from another country who thought perhaps he had slowed down at the stop sign but wasn't exactly sure. The driver was given a warning and a brief lesson about U.S. traffic laws.

Found property, Friday, Aug. 13 — A paycheck. Issuer notified.

Traffic crime, Aug. 13 — An anonymous caller reported someone who might or might not have a license might or might not have been driving a vehicle that might or might not belong to someone else.

Trespass, Aug. 15 — UniSea security requested assistance with a man who was to be barred from their property.

Fisherman anchored driftnet illegally, troopers say

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Valdez
Type: Illegal commercial fishing activity
On 8/14/10 Jose Ceballos, 47, of Cordova, was issued a citation by the Valdez Wildlife Troopers for anchoring a commercial drift gillnet on 7/14/10 in Lake Bay, western Prince William Sound. Arraignment scheduled in Cordova District Court.

Aleutians crabber charged with observer violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Observer coverage
On 8/12/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Frederick D. Alvarez, 49, of Camano Island, Wash., for not providing 50 percent observer coverage while commercial golden king crab fishing west of 174 degrees W long. during the third trimester of the fishery. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/25/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Ketchikan troller charged after kings tossed

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Retain king salmon in closed season, waste
On 8/2/10 Mark R. Anderson, 51, of Ketchikan, was cited for waste of commercial-caught troll salmon. Anderson was cited after Alaska State Troopers contacted Anderson at E.C. Phillips in Ketchikan. Investigation revealed Anderson had retained three king salmon aboard his commercial troller the F/V Nina. During the investigation Anderson threw the king salmon overboard. The State Troopers Tactical Diving Unit responded and recovered the king salmon Anderson threw over the side of his vessel. Investigation is still ongoing. Arraignment is scheduled for 9/21/10 in Ketchikan.

Troopers seize 6,467 pounds of salmon

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Whittier
Type: Anchor drift gillnet
On 8/6/10 Kiril Matveev, 19, of Homer, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post, for anchoring his commercial drift gillnet to the shoreline while commercial fishing. A total of 6,467 pounds of salmon were seized during the investigation. Matveev's vessel also was unregistered and he received a $60 bailable citation for it. Matveev was given an arraignment date of 9/1/10 in Cordova District Court.

Troopers make two Prince William Sound cases

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 8/1/10 Jake Rosauer, 22, of Anchorage, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Cordova Post, for commercial fishing 23 minutes after the close of the period, as skipper and permit holder aboard the F/V Silver Drift. The arraignment date was set for 9/1/10 in Cordova District Court.

Location: Valdez
Type: Anchor drift gillnet
On 8/7/10 Kurt St. Jean, 39, of Homer, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Valdez Post, for anchoring his drift gillnet on 7/14/10 in Lake Bay by tying off to the fish pens for the duration the net was out. Arraignment scheduled for 9/29/10 in Cordova District Court.

Who shot this sea lion?

From the National Marine Fisheries Service:

Aug. 9, 2010

NOAA Enforcement seeks information in sea lion shooting

JUNEAU — NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement is asking for the public's help in finding out who shot a Steller sea lion that was found dead on a beach north of Juneau last week.

A thin and lethargic sea lion was first reportedly sighted on Tuesday, Aug. 3, between Amalga Harbor and Boy Scout Beach. It was spotted again in the same vicinity the following day.

The deceased sea lion was discovered on Boy Scout Beach at about 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 6.

NOAA Fisheries veterinarian Kate Savage performed a necropsy Saturday to determine the cause of death. That's when she discovered a bullet casing in the 1-year-old male's shoulder.

"The probable cause of death is starvation resulting from the injury," Savage said. "The sea lion was unable to forage due to the wound in its shoulder, which was also badly infected."

NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement is asking anyone with information on the shooting to call 586-7225, or the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964.

Judge Burgess ticketed on dipnetting violation

The Brig is confident the person named in the press release below is U.S District Judge Timothy Burgess of Anchorage. The judge's office was contacted twice to verify whether he had, in fact, received the citation. No reply was received. A copy of the citation, obtained by mail from the court clerk's office in Kenai, shows a middle initial of "M" for the accused. The judge's middle name is Mark. The judge was born in 1956, which is consistent with the age stated in the release. Further, a spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers said that according to records they checked, the person cited is Judge Burgess. On Aug. 2, Burgess signed a court paper indicating he was pleading no contest and enclosing the $110 penalty.

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sterling
Type: Fail to record salmon on personal use permit
On 7/21/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Timothy Burgess, 53, of Anchorage, at mile 84 of the Sterling Highway. Investigation revealed that Burgess had harvested five red salmon at the dipnet fisheries in the mouth of the Kenai River and failed to record them on his personal use permit. Burgess was issued a citation for failing to record the salmon on his personal use permit. Bail was set at $110.

Troopers ticket Petersburg fisherman

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Steamer Rocks
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 8/3/10 at approximately 1202 hours, Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued James Vandebunte, 48, of Petersburg, a citation for commercial fishing in a closed period. Vandebunte was given a mandatory court date in the Petersburg District Court.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Assistance rendered, July 26 — Officer responded to a residence within which were two intoxicated adults, one of whom complained of pain in both hands after being bitten by a fish.

Trespass, July 27 — Officers contacted a vagrant who had been living in an abandoned building on North Pacific Fuel property and advised him, per NPF management, that he was not welcome to stay there or any other place on their property.

Drunk disturbance, July 28 — Security officer requested police assistance with a drunk who had no place to go and refused to leave UniSea property. After police advised the man of his options he elected to leave the area on foot.

Trespass, July 28 — An anonymous caller phoned 911 to report being annoyed by the sound of someone honking a car horn. An officer responded to the emergency and found two drunken, squabbling women, one of whom was annoying the neighbor with her incessant honking, and one drunken man who wished to tell police that he had seen the two women scuffling. The officer determined that no emergency existed.

Taxi violation, July 28 — A taxi driver phoned 911 to report that another taxi driver had taken her fare. An officer contacted the two bickering taxi drivers and told them to just get along.

Lost property, July 29 — Debit card. Lost at the bank. Or in a taxi. Or somewhere.

Theft, July 29 — A boy's bike was stolen from the Methodist Church while he was inside taking piano lessons. Under investigation.

Taxi violation, July 30 — More taxi drivers engaged in inconsequential squabbles.

Fire response, July 30 — Caller reported a fire alarm from a building near the City Dock, and then corrected the information to indicate the alarm was coming from a Coast Guard cutter docked nearby.

Fire safety, July 30 — Caller reported a fire at the new small-boat harbor construction area. A fire captain found a 10-gallon drum of burning waste oil and extinguished it.

Troopers make variety of cases in Southeast

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Seymour Canal
Type: No crew license
On 7/25/10 Michael A. File, 44, of Petersburg, was cited for employing an unlicensed crewmember onboard his seine vessel the F/V Siren. Jordan D. Monroe, 18, of Petersburg, was cited for failing to have a valid 2010 crewmember license in possession. An 11-year-old crewmember was not issued a citation, but was actively participating as a crewmember onboard the vessel as well and did not have a valid 2010 crew license. Bail is set at $260 with arraignment in Juneau District Court.

Location: Gilbert Bay
Type: Unlicensed commercial vessel
On 7/27/10 Daniel V. Zeik, 44, of Petersburg, was issued a citation for operating a commercial vessel that was not registered. Bail is set at $210 with arraignment in Juneau District Court.

Location: Stephens Passage
Type: Undersized mesh
On 7/27/10 Terry J. Smith, 55, of Petersburg, was issued a summons for operating a commercial drift gillnet with undersized mesh. Investigation found that the first 10 fathoms of the net consisted of 5-inch mesh. The minimum size requirement for that area is 6-inch mesh. Smith was assigned an arraignment date of 8/26/10 in Juneau District Court.

Location: Port Camden
Type: Fail to register commercial Dungeness boat
On 7/30/10 Jack Lyons, 57, of Petersburg, was issued a summons for operating commercial Dungeness crab gear from a vessel that was not registered for Dungeness crab fishing. Lyons was given an arraignment date of 8/12/10 in Petersburg District Court.

Troopers say crew tried to conceal boat identity

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed waters, hindering prosecution
On 7/22/10 at 1620 hours, Alaska Wildlife Troopers on aircraft patrol documented the F/V High Octane commercial fishing in closed waters 0.1 nautical mile north of the Egegik District north boundary line. While attempting to document the violation and identity of the vessel the skipper, later identified as Tim Allen Vardy, 55, of Lakewood, Wash., and a crewmember, later identified as John R. Lane of Morro Bay, Calif., attempted to conceal the identity of the vessel by covering its Alaska Department of Fish and Game numbers with their bodies and a coat. On 7/28/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers located and contacted the F/V High Octane in the Naknek River and issued the following citations: Tim Allen Vardy, commercial fishing in closed waters, hindering prosecution and failure to properly display vessel numbers; Linda Sue Vardy, 47, of Lakewood, Wash., commercial fishing in closed waters; and John R. Lane, hindering prosecution. Arraignments for all persons is set for 8/20/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/28/10 King Salmon Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Vincent E. Hoiby, 47, of Everett, Wash., for commercial fishing on 7/24/10 in closed waters 500 feet north of the Egegik District north boundary aboard the F/V Jesse N. Arraignment is set for 8/20/10 in Naknek District Court.

Assault reported at North Pacific Seafoods plant

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dillingham
Type: Assault
On 7/26/10 at approximately 1430 hours, Menes Weightman, 32, of Anchorage, reported he was assaulted at North Pacific Seafoods by another employee on the evening of 7/21/10. Weightman reported the assault after he left the facility for the season. The incident is being investigated by Alaska State Troopers.

Two Egegik fishermen ticketed, one twice

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/25/10 King Salmon Wildlife Troopers cited Geoffrey L. Bowser, 54, of La Conner, Wash., for commercial fishing in closed waters 0.1 nautical mile north of the Egegik District aboard the F/V Dr. Jack on 7/24/10. Arraignment is set for 8/20/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/28/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers in King Salmon issued citations to Luke D. Swab, 26, of Merritt, Mich., for two counts of commercial fishing in closed waters that occurred in Egegik on 7/21/10 and 7/22/10 respectively. Arraignment on both charges is set for 8/20/10 in Naknek District Court.

Juneau restaurant owner pleads guilty to subsistence halibut scheme, could get 10 months

Here's the press release from the U.S. attorney's office.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Suspicious activity, July 18 — Second-hand report of a flare being fired over the bow of a local tugboat. An officer contacted several potential witnesses and participants but was unable to ascertain the identity of the culprit.

Animal, July 18 — Officer drove around with a small, collarless dog in his patrol car until he found someone who could identify it. The owner was eventually identified and located, and was most grateful to again have his pooch.

Animal, July 19 — Caller reported a howling, possibly injured dog across the street. The responding officer found a healthy, safe dog very interested in nearby foxes and eagles.

Assault, July 19 — Officers responded to a reported assault in the Grand Aleutian hotel lobby, and met with several people involved in the alleged incident. The victim, who had certainly been struck in the eye, identified as the assailant a man who had multiple witnesses to attest that he was not in fact the perpetrator. In spite of the presence of many people in the lobby at the time, no substantive leads to other suspects could be developed.

Trespass, July 20 — Officer issued a trespass advisement for all UniSea property, per UniSea management.

Domestic disturbance, July 24 — An argument between a man and his girlfriend which started with the destruction of their respective Hungry-Man dinners escalated to further acts of violence. The woman, allegedly upset over an insulting comment, grabbed a thick stalk of bamboo and smacked her loved one on the back. The woman's actions were verified by her young daughter. Brynn S. Decker, 27, of Unalaska, was arrested on one count of assault.

Welfare check, July 24 — Officer checked on a drunk who had phoned the police station several times with ambiguous statements about activities in his home. The officer learned that the drunk, who had taken for himself the moniker "Iceman," may have had a disagreement with his roommate over the temperature in the house but due to his intoxication could not remember whether they had actually argued or not.

Fire response, July 25 — Fire and EMS personnel extricated the driver of a forklift which had fallen over on a dock.

Three charged with illegal fishing in Bristol Bay

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fishing violation
On 7/24/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Antonio Torrente, 56, from Massachusetts, following a commercial fishing violation in the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. Torrente was cited for fishing a drift gillnet 0.1 nautical mile south of the Naknek-Kvichak District south line on the F/V Maria Theresa. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/20/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fishing violation
On 7/25/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Gerald Johnson, 67, from Montana, following a commercial fishing violation in the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. Johnson was cited for fishing a drift gillnet 946 feet south of the Egegik District south line on the F/V Mighty Loetta. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/20/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/26/10 King Salmon Wildlife Troopers cited Allan Duane Acheson, 54, of Everett, Wash., for commercial fishing in closed waters 0.1 nautical mile north of the Egegik District north line on 7/24/10 aboard the F/V Hernando I. Arraignment is set for 8/20/10 in Naknek District Court.

Troopers ticket Naknek setnetter, seize salmon

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/23/10 at 1630 hours, King Salmon Wildlife Troopers cited Nathan Wegner, 24, of Naknek, for commercial fishing during a closed period in the Naknek-Kvichak District with a set gillnet, over 7 hours after the period had closed. Troopers also seized 1,049 pounds of illegally caught salmon. Arraignment is set for 8/20/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/21/10 Dionisiy V. Basargin, 20, of Homer, was cited by Dillingham Wildlife Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters in the Nushagak District. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/11/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Troopers make four cases in Prince William Sound

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/19/10, at approximately 1420 hours, Alaska Wildlife Troopers from the Cordova Post contacted Dia Kuzmin, 23, of Delta Junction, aboard the F/V Off Limits near Culross Point. Investigation revealed that Kuzmin was fishing in an area closed to commercial salmon fishing. Kuzmin was summoned to appear on 8/4/10 in Cordova District Court.

Location: Valdez
Type: Anchor drift gillnet
On 7/24/10 Avtanom Reutov, 24, of Homer, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Valdez Post, for operating a drift gillnet from the F/V Flipsyde, and then tying the boat to the Wally Noerenberg Hatchery dock for a couple hours, not allowing the gillnet to drift. Arraignment scheduled for 9/1/10 in the Cordova District Court.

Location: Valdez
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/24/10 Feodor Reutov, 37, of Homer, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Valdez Post, for commercial fishing in the closed waters of the Esther subdistrict on 6/21/10. Arraignment scheduled for 9/1/10 in the Cordova District Court.

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fish closed season
On 7/24/10 a 16-year-old Homer resident was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Cordova Post. The youth is the skipper and permit holder aboard the F/V Stealth. He was issued a citation for commercial fishing by taking salmon with a dipnet, when there is no season for this in the Esther subdistrict. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/4/10 in the Cordova District Court.

Togiak fisherman charged with double violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Togiak
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/19/10 Chris D. Nick, 27, of Togiak, was cited for two counts of commercial fishing in closed waters over the south line of Kulukak Bay on 7/7/10 and 7/19/10. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/11/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Main Bay feud leads to charge against setnetter

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Valdez
Type: Illegal setnet operation
On 7/15/10 Valdez Troopers responded to an ongoing conflict between two commercial setnetters in Main Bay. Investigation revealed that Thomas Aberle Jr., 56, of Juneau, was operating a commercial setnet too close to another setnet site. Arraignment scheduled for 8/25/10 in Cordova District Court.

Valdez troopers charge two with unlawful seining

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Valdez
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/16/10 Timothy Barclay, 50, of Valdez, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Valdez Post, for commercial fishing in the closed waters near the Solomon Gulch Hatchery after making a seine set in the dense fog. The area was closed almost a mile off the beach, and Barclay set right off the beach. Arraignment scheduled for 8/26/10 in Valdez District Court.

Location: Valdez
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/15/10 James Jensen Jr., 57, of Cordova, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Valdez Post, for commercial seining in an anadromous stream, in Port Valdez, as the permit holder on the F/V Rhema. Jensen was issued a second citation on 7/11/10 for commercial fishing in the closed waters of Marsha Bay, Knight Island, after Valdez Troopers received a complaint and an investigation was conducted. Arraignments for Jensen will be held in Valdez and Cordova.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Environmental, July 12 — Caller reported a sinking skiff was leaking fuel. Information forwarded to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Noise disturbance, July 13 — Caller reported noise from nearby wind turbines had disturbed his sleep. Officers noted that the noise of the wind whistling through the area was louder than that generated by the turbines.

Welfare check, July 13 — Caller reported his dipsomaniac sibling had left their residence in spite of being told not to do so. Officers determined the drunk had taken a cab approximately 200 feet to a friend's house.

Trespass, July 14 — Officers issued a trespass advisement, per UniSea management, to a drunken man who had already been told once that he was not allowed on UniSea property. The man told police he understood and left the area on his bicycle.

Plant workers spend night on Craig mountain

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Klawock Post
Type: Search and rescue
On 7/20/10 at 0009 hours, Alaska State Troopers received a report from the plant manager of Silver Bay Seafoods that nine employees had not returned from a hike up Sunnahae Mountain in Craig. A large group of hikers had started up the Sunnahae trail, but the group split at approximately 2,000 feet. One group headed back down the mountain and the second group headed towards the helicopter landing pad at the top of the mountain. The second group consisted of nine hikers identified as Robert Mensch from Ghana; Rustum Sharpov, 20, from Russia; Azamat Aipov, 23, from Kazakhstan; Milosz Szezpanak, 20, from Poland; and Mykailo Kustuzov, 21, Zadym Markov, 19, Andrii Smoliazov, 20, Mykola Butov, 20, and Artur Mylmek, 20, all from Ukraine. This second group of hikers decided to stay on the mountain due to the failing light and wait until morning. At 0726 hours all hikers were located and brought safely down the mountain with no injuries to report.

Sitka troopers say vessel lacked license

The person named in this item, Bob Thorstenson Jr., is executive director of the Southeast Alaska Seiners Association, a Juneau-based nonprofit. Deckboss spoke with Thorstenson and he admitted that he uses his SeaSport catamaran, the Sylvi Elise, to scout for salmon in support of commercial seiners including his own vessel, the Pamela Rae. He said he believes this citation is highly unusual, maybe even unprecedented, but will pay the fine promptly.

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Vessel license
On 7/18/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Robert M. Thorstenson, 46, of Juneau, near Hidden Falls terminal harvest area in an 32-foot SeaSport not bearing any Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission license. Investigation revealed Thorstenson was participating in the commercial seine fishery, which requires the vessel to be licensed with CFEC. Thorstenson was cited with bail set at $210 in Sitka District Court.

Four Yukon fishermen fined after guilty pleas

From the Alaska State Troopers:

On 7/15/10 in St. Marys District Court, the following entered pleas to Lower Yukon River charges:

• Louis Immamak, 35, of Emmonak, and Alexie Benjamin, 47, of Emmonak, both pled guilty to commercial fishing during a closed period. They each received $500 fines and were placed on probation for one year.

• Willie Long, 44, of St. Marys, pled guilty to commercial fishing in closed waters as a permit holder and was fined $500 and placed on probation for one year. John Long, 18, of St. Marys, pled guilty to commercial fishing in closed waters as a crewmember and received a $300 fine and also was placed on probation for one year.

Troopers ticket two Bristol Bay fishermen

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/14/10 William P. Johnson, 71, of Dillingham, was cited for commercial fishing in closed waters south of the Nushagak District. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/20/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/18/10 Jorg A. Schmeisser, 46, of Kodiak, was cited for commercial fishing in closed waters south of the Nushagak District. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/11/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Troopers cite skipper of Kodiak scallop boat

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kodiak
Type: No authority to operate
On 7/16/10 Thomas M. Minio, 49, of Kodiak, was cited by Alaska Wildlife Troopers for operating a commercial scallop vessel during 2007 and 2008 without having a valid intent to operate permit and also for improperly completing fish tickets as required. State law requires all commercial vessels that catch and process their own catch to submit an intent to operate form to the Department of Revenue for review and acceptance, prior to beginning commercial operations. In 2007 and 2008, Minio was the skipper and permit holder onboard the F/V Provider, based out of Kodiak, which landed a reported 259,600 pounds of scallops.

Two ticketed in Prince William Sound region

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Copper River flats, Cordova
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/2/10 Cordova Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Kris Phillips, 45, of Cordova, for commercial fishing 28 minutes after the Copper River flats closed at 0700 hours. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/4/10 in Cordova District Court.

Location: Eshamy, Prince William Sound
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/3/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Joe Reutov, 21, of Molalla, Ore., for commercial fishing in closed waters of Prince William Sound aboard the F/V Headache. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/4/10 in Cordova District Court.

Three gillnetters charged at Bristol Bay

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/12/10 Andrew J. Evon, 45, of Manakotak, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/20/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/11/10 Benjamin Edward Ellison, 20, of Duluth, Minn., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial drift gillnet fishing in closed waters. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/19/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/11/10 David Alan Rogotzke, 50, of Duluth, Minn., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial drift gillnet fishing in closed waters. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/19/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Troopers ticket nine more Bristol Bay fishermen

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/13/10 Truls A. Finbraten, 41, of Seattle, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters south of the Kvichak section.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/13/20 James R. Ostrom, 49, of Priest River, Idaho, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters south of the south line of the Naknek section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/21/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/13/10 Shawn Dochtermann, 46, of Kodiak, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing with drift gillnet gear in the closed waters of the Kvichak section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/21/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/12/10 James C. Riggle, 59, of Woodinville, Wash., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing with drift gillnet gear in closed waters south of the Kvichak section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/15/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/12/10 Martin P. Stevens, 59, of Yelm, Wash., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters south of the south line of the Naknek section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/21/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/11/10 Eric J. Bayne, 50, of Everett, Wash., was cited for commercial fishing during a closed period in the Naknek-Kvichak District. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/15/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/13/10 Tam Van Tran, 52, of Vallejo, Calif., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters in the Naknek-Kvichak District. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/21/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/13/10 Fred Crothamel, 61, of Mercer Island, Wash., and Charles M. Ridley, 49, of Edmonds, Wash., were cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters in the Naknek-Kvichak District.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/13/10 Christopher T. White, 60, of Sand Point, Idaho, and Michael J. Reitz, 50, of Fairbanks, were cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters in the Naknek-Kvichak District. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/21/10 in Naknek District Court.

Sportfisherman told to avoid weir, gets ticket

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Valdez
Type: Sportfish closed waters
On 7/7/10 David Hawker, 46, of Boulder, Colo., was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Valdez Post, for sportfishing within 300 feet of the Solomon Gulch fish weir. Hawker had been told numerous times, by the hatchery manager, that he was fishing illegally before the Valdez trooper was called. Bail set at $110 in the Valdez court.

Teen crewman breaks arm amid trooper boarding

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Valdez
Type: Medical assist
On 7/13/10, while on patrol during the Valdez salmon seine fishery, Trooper Beck had boarded a fishing vessel in Port Valdez. During the boarding, the skipper's 15-year-old son caught his arm between the seine skiff and seine boat, which appeared to cause a break. Trooper Beck transported the juvenile to the Valdez harbor to an awaiting ambulance. The juvenile was transported to the Valdez Providence hospital, where it was confirmed the arm was broke.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Animal, July 4 — A good Samaritan seized a loose Chihuahua which she felt was in danger of becoming an eagle snack. The dog was turned over to Public Safety.

Drunk disturbance, July 4, 2304 hours — Caller reported men urinating in public on the beach near the fireworks display. The men were described as men. An officer responded and found many men in the area.

Drunk disturbance, July 4, 2340 hours — Caller reported presumably different men urinating in public on the beach near the fireworks display. An officer patrolled the area.

Theft, July 5 — A man reported his white Ford truck, in which he had left his keys, was missing from the area of the APL dock. Responding officers found that a crewman on a boat docked there had been told to take a white Ford truck with keys in it to the grocery store. He did exactly that, not realizing he had taken the wrong white Ford truck. No charges were filed.

Bristol Bay setnetter accused of overtime fishing

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Naknek-Kvichak District
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/12/10 Bristol Bay Wildlife Troopers cited Harlen P. Bailey II, 65, of Martinez, Calif., for commercial fishing with a set gillnet in the Kvichak section after the announced closure. Arraignment is set for 7/21/10 in Naknek District Court.

Setnet rope takes down trooper patrolling on ATV

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kenai
Type: ATV accident
On 7/11/10 at 0003 hours, Soldotna dispatch received a 911 call reporting an ATV crash on the beach south of the mouth of the Kenai River. CES medics, BHP, AST and AWT responded to the scene. Investigation revealed Alaska Wildlife Trooper Abbott was on patrol traveling south on the beach operating a Yamaha Grizzly ATV when his ATV struck a setnet rope that was pulled taut by the tide. The ATV rolled multiple times causing Abbott to be thrown from the ATV. Abbott was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The caller and several other people came to his aid until medics and AST arrived. Abbott was transported by ambulance to Central Peninsula Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The ATV sustained damage but was driven from the beach.

Three fishermen fined after guilty pleas at Bethel

From the Alaska State Troopers:

On 7/12/10 the following persons pled guilty at arraignment at the Bethel court and received sentences:

• Albert H. Kernak, 67, of Napakiak, commercial fish closed period, $1,000 fine with $500 suspended, one year year probation

• Raymond M. Evon, 53, of Bethel, commercial fish closed period, $1,000 fine with $500 suspended, one year probation

• John J. Mojin, 61, of Bethel, commercial fish closed period, $1,000 fine with $500 suspended, one year probation

Troopers cite more Bristol Bay salmon fishermen

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/9/10 Clark Yatsik, 41, of Kodiak, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing with a drift gillnet in closed waters in the Egegik District. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/16/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/9/10 Bruce Corson, 49, of Anchorage, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing with a drift gillnet in closed waters in the Egegik District. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/16/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/9/10 Samuel Bink, 27, of Medford, Ore., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing with a drift gillnet in closed waters in the Egegik District. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/16/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/10/10 Peter Ryan Golia, 24, of Dillingham, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial drift gillnet fishing during a closed period in the Nushagak section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/19/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/10/10 Elliott N. Neese, 28, of Homer, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing during a closed period in the Nushagak section on both 7/9/10 and 7/10/10. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/19/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/10/10 Roseleen Lee Moore, 66, of Homer, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial drift gillnet fishing during a closed period in the Nushagak section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/19/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Location: Dillingham
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/10/10 Monica Ann Delkettie, 19, of Homer, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial drift gillnet fishing during a closed period in the Nushagak section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/19/10 in Dillingham District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/10/10 Stephen D. Cardinalli, 60, of Monterey, Calif., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in the closed waters south of the Naknek section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/15/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/4/10 Wilbur A. Reel, 70, of Redmond, Wash., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in the closed waters south of the Naknek section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/16/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Kvichak
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/10/10 Philip John Nienhuis, 54, of Oak Harbor, Wash., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing during a closed period in the Kvichak section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/15/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/7/10 Roger E. Jolma, 65, of Clatskanie, Ore., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing during a closed period in the Naknek section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/16/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/10/10 Edmond K. Hinsaw, 54, of Petersburg, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial drift gillnet fishing in the closed waters south of the Naknek section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/16/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/7/10 John C. McDonald, 54, of Seattle, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters south of the south line of the Naknek section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/15/10 in Naknek District Court.

Location: Naknek
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 7/10/10 Robert E. Dutton, 40, of Everett, Wash., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Enforcement Troopers for commercial fishing in closed waters in the Naknek section. Arraignment is scheduled for 7/15/10 in Naknek District Court.