A jury convicted Willis Scott Maxon, 52, on Friday following a three-day trail in U.S. District Court in Fairbanks. He was convicted of two counts of felony violations of the Lacey Act for falsely identifying Alaskan smoke salmon strips that were being sold in interstate commerce.
Maxon was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 24, 2011, as the result of a joint federal and state investigation into the causes of declining king salmon runs in the Yukon River in recent years.
According to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office, evidence presented at the trial showed that Maxon sold thousands of pounds of chum salmon strips labeled as king salmon strips to buyers in the Lower 48 and at Alaska Native gatherings such as the Alaska Federation of Natives convention and the World Eskimo and Indian Olympics.
King salmon strips generally sell for two to three times the price of chum strips, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Cooper told the jury during the trial.
According to Friday’s news release, Maxon was found to be in possession of about 400 pounds of recently caught chum and coho salmon in October 2010 without any documentation of the origin of the fish. Maxon advertised the fish as Yukon River or Copper River king salmon. The fish was subjected to DNA testing and found to be exclusively chum salmon.
Maxon, who could not be reached for comment for this story, also sold and shipped 100 pounds of what he advertised to be Yukon River smoke salmon strips to an undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent in Arizona. DNA testing showed that fish also was chum salmon.
Evidence showed that Maxon stated he regularly sold and shipped thousands of pounds of king salmon strips to out-of-state locations. In a four-year period from 2007 to 2010, evidence showed Maxon purchased more than 16,000 pounds of raw chum. The value of raw king salmon is five times that of raw chum salmon, according to prosecutors.
According to federal customary and traditional trade regulations, subsistence fishermen are allowed to sell salmon strips as long as it does not constitute a “significant commercial enterprise,” though the regulations do not define what a significant commercial enterprise is.
Maxon faces a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Cooper, who prosecuted the case, said it’s too early to say what kind of sentence he will recommend for Maxon.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 6 in Fairbanks.
Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.
Alaskaman55 you might be correct that we didn't get all the fact. But sitting on a jury you have to make a decision on what is presented in court, if not all facts are presented, don't blame the jury. The jury can not ask to see the parts of recording and video not shown in court, so if they have been edited, the defense should have played the unedited recordings and video.
Also I don't know what the defense could have done the evidence was there and was pretty damaging there was no wy to take it back or cover it up.
I saw the videos
I heard the audio recordings
He didn't have to mail to. Arizona
He said he was mailing KINGS
He only bought chums (proof receipts in his name)
His wife said we only buy chums
His daughter said they only buy chums
Defense said he only drives for her (video and records said differently)
Defense claimed it her business
Maybe he is small time
Maybe it's not his business
But in the courtroom the facts said otherwise. And the prosecution proved it without a DOUBT
I tried to look him in the eyes but he had his head down when I said guilty on both charges.
As soon as he said they were Kings and mailed them off it became a federal offense. If he never said kings he would be a free man.
So in this case seller beware, if you are misleading in your product.
chum salmon today (smoked) can only mean drive-by shootings, car-jacking, flash-robberies and random-rape tomorrow... it's a pattern.
Take a closer look the next time you're out shopping. As far as not knowing the difference between Chum and King, that's a good laugh.
Yes you do have to be careful of what you buy at Wally World. All you need do is read the labels. When the label says it is King Salmon and it not you've misrepresented you product. And yes I do believe the labels at Wally World, Safeway or at a gas station. When I pay for a gallon of diesel I expect it to be a gallon, nothing less.
Now since it appears this guy sold to a government agency a product he misrepresented I can hardly fault the government as being out to get him.
Another of the great American con men.
(And IMAO, he is scum.)
No the roof doesn't leak. That stain is from
an exploding soda bottle.
No the land isn't on permafrost-I had
drilling done, but can't find the records.
What is the big deal?
We'll shut up and take it. We wouldn't want to risk those federal dollars coming in.
Our LEO's are obviously desperate for work since we don't have enough real crimes in this state. Soon they can concentrate on texting while driving. That should take the heat off for a while.
That should shut the case right there. How can they prosecute someone on an unwritten law? That's wrong.
Subsistance, in a federal prison that includes the new and improved management plan from ADF&G and the USFWS.
His customers were probably happy with it.
Ohhh sure, and the people who will send him to prison never con anyone.
captcrunch....you sound like a 12 year old.
Actually it's an old Yugo I took the emblems off, and replaced with BMW emblems.
What's the big deal