Case library · Busted!
Cash for Cucumbers
United States v. Namkoong (2018)
Charge: Sea-cucumber Lacey Act conspiracyCourt: U.S. District Court, W.D. WashingtonState: WashingtonDocket: Busted!
Does a buyer who leaves landing tickets unwritten or false share in the unlawful taking of the catch?
The facts
Sea cucumbers are lifted off the seabed and sold mostly for export. A processing company bought them from harvesters and was meant to record every landing on a fish ticket, the document that tells managers how much has been taken out. Over several seasons the owner left tickets unwritten, filed false ones, and paid harvesters in cash. About 250,000 pounds went unrecorded, worth close to $1.5 million.
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. Namkoong (W.D. Wash. 2018)
Read more at justice.gov. The source reveals the outcome.