Arne Fuglvog, who resigned Sunday as an aide to Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, has been charged in federal court with a criminal fisheries violation.
Under a plea agreement, Fuglvog agrees to plead guilty in exchange for a recommended sentence of 10 months imprisonment, a $50,000 fine and a $100,000 "community service payment."
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55 comments:
Sad......
Careful not to droo your soap sellout,what u were too lazy to fish central gulf?
what are the details
cool!
humm, will just have to wait and see the what the real story is...must be nice to be able to negotiate your future behind closed doors...
Arne did bad fishing over the line but he sure did a lot of good working for fisherman all over Alaska and even the nation. Remember, he had the quota, he just fished some in the wrong district, I think he should pay, doesn't warrent jail time.
he took 2x his quota.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/former-us-sen-lisa-murkowski-aide-headed-prison
Seems interesting that there are very few Lacey act violations. Would think it'd be huge with the volume that processors and packers process. Guess busting gillnetters is more important.
Anchorage Daily News:
http://www.adn.com/2011/08/02/1997305/murkowski-aide-quits-after-admitting.html
Plea
http://media.adn.com/smedia/2011/08/02/17/41/rbmIp.So.7.pdf
Draggers waste 14 million pounds of halibut in the CG, what's up with that?
^No evidence,No witness, No data, No crime. Will continue....
Alaska Dispatch mentions that UFA promoted the appointment of Fuglvog to head of NMFS:
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/former-murkowski-fisheries-aide-headed-prison
Now UFA refuses to comment.
In the Juneau Empire, Bobby T (classmate of Arne at the University of Puget Sound), is cited as:
A fisheries lobbyist who knew Fuglvog expressed shock at the guilty plea.
“No one would ever believe this,” Bob Thorstenson said. “There is surely something else that has not been said here. Arne was probably on a board that started that fishery, and was probably on a board that sustained it, and another that saw it was going to remain a benefit for Alaskan fisherman. This is the last name I would ever expect to hear in the same sentence as the Lacey Act.”
http://juneauempire.com/local/2011-08-02/murkowski-aide-resigns-after-lacey-act-violation#.TjluHWG6CAg
Sorry Mr. Thorstenson, but I believe that some crooked fishermen cheat every chance they get so I "believe this".
Sorry Arne, you sad sack of bull, you had it coming. Used to be your friend.
They're all crooks, Bobby T, UFA, etc. How can you trust any of these guys, when the supposedly cleanest of them, Fuglvog, was bootlegging black cod all these years?
No more UFA dues from me, I've finally had it.
Zuanich, Ben Jr. and Bobby T dodged a huge bullet of jail time when Uncle Ted got off. Ben Stevens is still a free man?
The investigations are over?
Trevor McCabe is still a free man?
Steal fish, crime pays.
Nobody got busted on Wall Street, nobody got jailed for torture.
It is truly sickening to a guy trying to raise kids and a family as a hard-working fishermen.
I'll still abide by the rules, fishing laws, and common decency, but sometimes I wonder if my good conscience is equal to my lean pocketbook when these guys remain free men?
As one of my kids said, "Honesty sucks, but jail is worse."
If these guys remain free, or don't get busted for years, like Fuglvog, how do I teach my kids to be honest fishers, and not to cheat? They see the fancy houses, new trucks, shiny boats, and I tell the kids, they're just like drug dealers, bad people doing bad things.
They'll always be looking over their shoulder.
God, I hope so, it's getting harder every day to remain an honest man.
Former UFA Member-as of today
Feels good to see someone go down though doesn't it? Maybe there's more in the works.
Yeah. Feels good to see someone go down.... if you are lowlife sapsucker who needs someone else's issues to satisfy your bloodlust.
Arne and I have been lifelong friends.
This is a total tragedy for Alaskan fishermen.
Period.
End of story.
No one lately has done as much for fishermen -- at our level-- excluding Governors, Senators,Commissioners, etc
So someone is going to have to do alot of work now that Arne isn't going to be able to do it.
That's the sad part even if you sapsucking maggots don't like Arne.
Anyone who has ever WORKED with Arne-- and I mean politically-- on fisheries issues would never take any joy in this terrible tragedy.
Yeah. Drop out of UFA. Join your local sportsfishing group instead you picking loser.
bobbyt
BobbyT- where is the tragedy in someone paying for the CRIMES they committed? Tragedy? Try reality.
BobbyT - what do you mean by "picking loser"? Is this an insult against gillnetters?
Wow-there are sure a lot of Perfect Fishermen out there. Perfect in every way, except for the Jealousy part....
Arne is a great guy, and was helping every one of us, whether we are rich or poor, whether you work hard, or just "gillnet".
Arne made a mistake, big deal. Let someone who never made a mistake 'Cast the stones'.....
And it's summer-the fishing is good, so get back to work. Hard work can elevate your status faster than jealousy. Shut off the computer and go find the fish.
It's sad to see that this crook has die-hard fans. Public servants role is to look after everybody not just themselves and their cronies.
NMFS making an exampe. Heed the warning to the hundreds of others who have done and continue to do the same, especially 3B fish caught in 3A. I know Arne and feel sorry for him, but should be the ultimate wake up call to the fleet.
Bobby T's little brother is a gillnetter. You picking loser.
Bobby T. some anger management should be in your future plans.
Ooh, Arne made a mistake, Arne is a great guy -- do you mean his mistake is he got caught?
Bobby T, I missed your scatter-shot insults. Arne did so much for fishermen? Let me rephrase that for you, Arne did a lot for people like you and your buddies at UFA & Silver Bay Seafoods.
The case on Ben Stevens & Trevor McCabe isn't closed yet, tick tock.
Tell me something Bobby, how did Homeshore LLC get in bed with Jim Beaton, who declared bankruptcy, and then go on to get all those bank loans?
It is pretty sick to hear Arne's crimes minimized as a "mistake". 30,000 pounds, a mistake? And that is just the one count they had him nailed on. Read the plea agreement
"On several occasions between 2001 and 2006, Fuglvog fished in one regulatory area and then falsely reported that the fish were caught in a different regulatory area"
He has displayed a repeated, willful, conscious choice to perform a criminal act, that was substantially (to the tune of at least $100,000 and most like several $100,000's) to his benefit, and to the harm of a public resource.
So, my presumption is that he would have no qualms about doing so in other areas of his life, including his public and political actions.
There is no defense for him.
He has no integrity now.
All of his actions, past and future are suspect.
Trust is earned by trustworthy actions. Let him do his time, pay the fine.
Maybe he should tell his "friends" to stop make excuses for him.
Completely agree with the comments at 10:16. I don't know Fugvold, but I do know many fishermen who cheat at every opportunity. Behavior like that is not a mistake, it is a mindset.
I do not know of any picking loser fleets that have sucked the federal teat for buyouts.
One wonders if all the Arne supporters are worried he might tell tales?
Anyone who takes pleasure in this because someone high and mighty has fallen is sadly mistaken. This is a tragedey for all Alaska fisherman and all fisherman nationwide. There is no excuse for what Arne did. However, this is not a light sentence and the pain and guilt he is experiencing is harder on him than the legal issues.
he should be stripped of commercial licenses and never be allowed to fish again, including sport or subsistence.
he sure bobby t. and his other criminal buddies can find him a "job".
Bobby your lifelong friendship with Arne speaks volumes..(birds of a feather)
As for the fisherman tragedy thing, Arne never liked fishing, and jumped out at the first chance he could. Again, the only tragedy is, is that he was caught. He consciously and willingly broke the law for his own convenience, and if he was on a board that made that fishery, more is the shame. I've known him most of my life too, but I ain't gonna give him a pass on this.
and Jp, willingly and knowingly breaking the law is not a mistake. It is a calculated risk. A mistake is something you do when you are adding up numbers, or on a spelling test. Lying, fishing in closed areas, are not mistakes, but devious premeditated actions made to benefit Arne both financially and to fit his time line. He should probably deserves to get more than he will when it is all over..
They should make him shave that mustash
Birds of feather . . . includes another of UFA's good "friends". . . you know that banker's daughter.
Another Petersburg so- called fisherman! Look at that fricken harbor, all those big shiny boats, those guys have been doing this shit for years and what now we are all shocked? Try fishing around those thieves. Cheating is just a way of life for them, their women too,haha!They should take his q's! Yes Bobby T your a thief as well. And Allan And Mark And Colin And Eric and and and!
BobbyT, this ain't no tragedy for me or anyone except that Arne tainted all hard working honest commercial fishermen by his greed. It's bad enough when commercial fishermen purposely break the law for capitol gain. But when they are in a position of authority and power it's worse. How do you think sports fishermen and charter boat people feel about all the new rules crammed down their throats by a criminal who broke the rules of his fishery? They think all commercial fishermen are criminals and why do they have to follow rules trying to protect commercial fisheries. Think they'll want a re-visiting of all the new Charter boat rules?
Personally, as a commercial fisherman, I can't wait til they get the rest of the crooked bastards out of fishing. And the guys who use politics to steal a bigger share of the pie for themselves are the absolute worst.
Rick B
Another aspect of this affair is that the very crew members who turned Arne in and gave depositions against him, were paid for those trips. They got to keep their money. They only reported the crime after they were let go and were no longer part of the operation.
As for all the Petersburg fishermen being crooks, please. Like it or not, Petersburg is the crown jewel of the southeast fishing ports, and probably the state. Commercial fishing is the sun of Petersburg's universe, unfettered by cruise ship companies. Since when does hard work, and aggressive tactics in a very competitive business equate to criminal activity? Arne is an exception, and I as said before, a reluctant fisherman who only did it because it was laid out for him, and there was too much money in it not to. Daily showers and suits were his destiny, and he jump at the chance to pursue that lifestyle at the first chance he got.
Please, don't call him a Petersburg fisherman.
Bravo
As part of the plea deal, Fuglvog will also have to make an announcement of his wrongdoing in the National Fisherman Magazine, a publication that celebrated him in 2003 as the Highliner of the Year. He was also honored as United Fishermen of Alaska’s Fisherman of the Year in 2005.
Bravo for the crew members. They were co-conspirators with this guy and they got him good. No worse than an undercover sting operation, better even. How many prosecutions of this nature and scale take place each year? Now imagine how much criminal activity is going on.
Deckboss- Has there been any news regarding the factory trawler by-catch violations? Seems they would fall under the same law.
Well, I'm pretty happy that Arne was working down there in Washington D.C. where the policy makers work. I'm sure Lisa's friends and enemies are all talking about this Alaskan incident of the crooked kind. There is a lot of dirty dealings where there is millions and millions of dollars to be made. There are several more players who should be busted as mentioned in several blogs above - let's hope they get thrown in the washer soon.
The guy is a crooked fisherman.End of sentence.
He's going to get what he deserves, probably less. Quit defending a criminal.
Blaming the crew members? (comments at 6:04 am) I'd call them courageous.
I can just hear the conversation "Hey Skipper, you just logged those fish in the wrong area" . . .
"Shut up, it's my boat, not your concern, you want to keep your bunk on my boat? Just keep fishing, we're not going in 'til the hold is full"
I'd hire 'em on tomorrow.
Principles are much more important than aggressive tactics will ever be, unless you are a greedy SOB.
There is enough of us "picking losers" out here that need to band together and replace Bobby as the head of UAF.
Too bad Arne's troubles weren't a felony instead of a missy. A felony would have kept Arne off of any and all fishery boards. Now he will return in one capacity or another.
Bobby t, still a blowhard brain dead loser
Is "misstating" the new word for lying or cheating. according to Lisa Smurfkowski's statement he misstated where he caught sablefish. To all of us REAL Alaskan fisherman, HE TRIED TO CHEAT and got pinched who knows how long he got away with it. I say Lynch Him
Hubris.
Petersburg Pilfering Posse
arnies just the tip of the iceberg this is just a way of life in petersburg!!!!!!!
ou "picking losers" to band together and replace Bob? Well, the position has room for only one. One that is willing to work, take heat from idiots like you and is brave enough to list his name after his comments. Funny how you cast the wildly successful into the cheaters corner. Never set over the line, fudged your log book, or eaten a few prohibs?
Yea. Setting over the line, fudging logbooks, and eating prohibs is not unheard of. Happens everyday. This little piggie ate his roast beef with a silver spoon though. No sympathy from me, maybe his cellmate bubba will care.
This guy is just another piece of the petersburg mafia that will take all the fish if they could and at the same time claim to be conservationists. Look at some of the players. first there is Commissioner Cora Campbell, then Fish board member John Jensen, then fish board regulation specialist, Carrie Tonkin, who seems to make errors in writing regulations that ALWAYS favors the commercial guys and finally Murkowski's aid. When will the governor wake up and clean house of these two faced petersburg greedy people?
Man, oh Man, oh Man! I just learned that Cora Campbell's Deputy Commissioner Mr. Bedford has a background in Law. ADF&G must be anticapating lawsuits up the ying-yang about managing the salmon for sustainability.
Round them all up...some of their names were mentioned in the comments, but there are a few more that have not been mentioned...you know who you are. You are being watched so follow the rules or go to jail dummies!
Awfully brave with your "Anonymous" signatures. If you have something you would like to say to Mark, say it to his face.
- The guy with the big shiny boat and a worn out back
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