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United States v. Lee (1991)
Charge: Lacey Act (false certificates of origin)Court: U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th CircuitState: WashingtonDocket: The Black Market
Can someone be convicted here over fish caught against a foreign rule that carries only a license penalty at home?
The facts
Squid boats from one foreign fleet were barred by their own government from catching salmon. They caught it anyway. The Defendants arranged to move about five hundred tons of it from those boats onto a chartered American freighter out on the open sea, then bring it into a west coast port under forged certificates saying the fish was American-caught. Undercover agents paid for part of the load.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: United States v. Lee, 937 F.2d 1388 (9th Cir. 1991)
Read more at openjurist.org. The source reveals the outcome.