21 more charged with walleye poaching in northern Minnesota

fishnpole · Veteran Member

More illegal netting

rjhumpy · Member

What are the rules on this?

I know a guy I used to work with that is of the Leech Lake tribe (but lives in Ramsey), that used to brag about his netting results - In witch he did not keep any of them, they all were sold to the Casino, on Mille Lacs - In fact the way he put it, he would have to get an agreed quota of harvest to get his payment - He and his party would net Mille Lacs, Leech, and a few smaller lakes around the larger lakes listed - His name is not listed on fishingpoles list, but if this is an illegal activity maybe it, and his party's could be placed there

Not sure if it is true, he just might have wanted to get a rise out of me and a few other employees that care

Should this be investigated by DNR, or whomever should be informed?

fishnpole · Veteran Member

Yep.

My mistake. The Leech Lake band uses that one.

Red Lake Fisheries in Redby, MN is a private company categorized underWholesale Seafood. Register for free to see additional information such as annual revenue and employment figures.

-- Edited by fishnpole on Friday 12th of April 2013 08:03:45 AM

fishnpole · Veteran Member

Leech Lake has a commercial fishing processing plant that buys fish from those band members that are licensed to net and catch walleyes by hook. (Sometimes hook and line will catch a hundred fish a day.)

If fish aren't going through the plant, they're probably illegal and should be reported. This investigation started from a hunter finding a pile of fish guts.

The probe into the alleged black market, referred to as "Squarehook" in a federal document, began in 2009. The investigation featured undercover purchases of fish and involved officers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Leech Lake Division of Resource Management, and the Red Lake Department of Natural Resources.
Investigators also seized fish in several raids.

"Authorities estimate the fair market value of the fish illegally obtained through the activity covered by these four indictments to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars," the U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis said in a statement Wednesday.

In July 2011, federal authorities told the Pioneer Press they had completed a "takedown" of a suspected "significant operation" to illegally sell netted walleye on two reservations in northern Minnesota. Officials could not be reached to confirm that action was connected to Wednesday's indictments.

Each of the 10 people has been charged with one count of transportation, sale and purchase of fish taken in violation of the Lacey Act, which can carry a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

Under the Lacey Act, it's a crime to violate Native American tribal law. Tribal law was violated, alleges Lenny Fineday, legal director for the Leech Lake Band.

"The netting itself was not illegal," Fineday said Wednesday. "What was illegal was the selling. We will be prosecuting in tribal court to the fullest extent of tribal law."

A violation could carry a fine and revocation of rights to hunt, fish and gather on the reservation, he said.

Officials with the Red Lake Nation could not be reached for comment.

According to the U.S. attorney's office, those charged are Larry W. Bellefy, 53, of Bagley; Thomas P. Sumner, 54, Brian W. Holthusen, 47, and Larry Good, all of Red Lake; Michael D. Brown, 54, no known address; Michael J. Nei, 48, of Bemidji; Jerry A. Reyes, 51, of Cass Lake; and Marc L. Lyons, 61, Frederick W. Tibbetts, 61, and Alan D. Hemme, 55, all of Bena, where Hemme owns a restaurant

Steve Fellegy · Veteran Member

rjhumpy wrote:
What are the rules on this?
I know a guy I used to work with that is of the Leech Lake tribe (but lives in Ramsey), that used to brag about his netting results - In witch he did not keep any of them, they all were sold to the Casino, on Mille Lacs - In fact the way he put it, he would have to get an agreed quota of harvest to get his payment - He and his party would net Mille Lacs, Leech, and a few smaller lakes around the larger lakes listed - His name is not listed on fishingpoles list, but if this is an illegal activity maybe it, and his party's could be placed there
Not sure if it is true, he just might have wanted to get a rise out of me and a few other employees that care
Should this be investigated by DNR, or whomever should be informed?

If the Casino was buying these fillets for public consumption/sale, that would be very illegal and needs to reported asap. Look into the present case and contact the investigating dept.--giving them the name of your info source.

Fishpole---Leech does not have a fish processing plant that I know of but Red Lake does.

fishnpole · Veteran Member

21 more charged with walleye poaching in northern Minnesota

State and tribal officials will reveal more this morning about their three-year investigation into a widespread scheme to sell and buy game fish illegally in northern Minnesota. Ten people already have been indicted and 21 more will face charges.

Article by: Paul Walsh , Star Tribune

Updated: April 15, 2013 - 8:49 AM

There are many more people in trouble for allegedly selling and buying game fish illegally in northern Minnesota, and state and tribal conservation officials will reveal more about their three-year investigation late Monday morning.

Last week, 10 people were indicted in federal court for their alleged roles in a major fish poaching scheme involving the buying and selling of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of walleyes netted from some of northern Minnesota’s most popular lakes.

The ten men from northern Minnesota were accused of netting walleyes and other fish from lakes on the Red Lake and Leech Lake Indian reservations and selling them in violation of federal, state and tribal law.

The illegal activity allegedly has occurred since 2009 and was widespread. Among the lakes where fish were netted and then sold were Leech, Cass, Winnibigoshish, Red and Six Mile, according to the indictments.

Further details coming out Monday from the investigation, dubbed “Operation Squarehook,” are resulting in another 21 people being charged in state courts in six counties in northwestern and north-central Minnesota.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

fishnpole · Veteran Member

DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2013

More charges to be filed in investigation
of illegal sales of game fish in northern Minnesota

Authorities are bringing state charges against 21 individuals following a major investigation into the illegal sale and dumping of thousands of protected game fish in north-central and northwestern Minnesota.

The three-year special investigation, known as Operation Squarehook, involved about 60 officers from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and tribal authorities from the Red Lake Band of Chippewa and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. This is Minnesota’s largest case of illegal fish commercialization in two decades.

The suspects are facing up to 35 misdemeanor and six gross misdemeanor state charges in six counties in northern Minnesota. Total state fines are expected in the tens of thousands of dollars. Cases have been presented to state county attorneys for prosecution; some individuals have been charged or have already paid fines.

The charges involve both illegal purchases and sales of the game fish, primarily walleye, taken from some of Minnesota’s most popular fishing lakes, including Cass, Leech, Red and Winnibigoshish lakes on the Red Lake or Leech Lake Indian reservations.

“This is a troubling case because it involved large numbers of people and a significant number of fish being illegally bought and sold,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “The investigation should serve notice that the illegal commercialization of walleye and waste of game fish will not be tolerated in Minnesota.”

Last week, the U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis announced four federal indictments filed against 10 tribal individuals in the same case. These 10 individuals are in addition to the 21 facing state and tribal charges.

State charges are being pursued or have been filed by county attorneys in Clearwater, Polk, Itasca, Cass, Pennington and Beltrami counties. The illegal sale and purchase of game fish is a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor, depending upon the value of the fish involved.

Tribal and nontribal members are being charged. Red Lake and Leech Lake authorities are filing charges against tribal members in tribal court.

During the investigation, DNR officers documented the suspects buying and selling thousands of walleye. They also documented hundreds of other unwanted fish, such as northern pike, being thrown away and wasted because they weren’t as highly prized as walleye.

The investigation began with Red Lake and Leech Lake tribal members who legally netted or angled game fish, but illegally sold them to other individuals. Tribal codes govern whether band members can fish or net for subsistence purposes. The Red Lake Band allows subsistence angling for walleye; the Leech Lake Band allows for subsistence angling or netting for walleye.

While band members can legally harvest fish for subsistence, they cannot sell them for profit. The Red Lake Band of Chippewa has a legal commercial walleye fishery, but band members can only sell their fish to the tribe-operated processor.

The 21 individuals facing state charges are nontribal members who illegally purchased or sold fish. In some cases, those individuals were intermediaries who purchased fish from tribal members and sold them to other individuals.

Acting on tips from the public, DNR officers used a variety of investigative techniques to track down the illegal sales and purchase. Fish were sold for between $1.50 and $3 per pound, far less than the $11 to $17 per pound for legal walleye (typically from Canada) sold in grocery stores. Officers discovered a competitive black market and significant supplies of purchasable fish.

“A significant problem is the number of people who knowingly buy illegal fish,” said Col. Jim Konrad, director of the DNR’s Enforcement Division. “The key to stopping this illegal commercialization of our game fish is stopping the demand.”

The illegal fish were of various sizes, from small to trophy specimens. In one case, a trophy muskie was sold for mounting. Some business owners or employees were involved in the illegal purchase and sale of walleye, though officials were unable to document that fish were sold as meals at restaurants or taverns.

“This illegal activity undermines the health of Minnesota’s sport and tribal fisheries and unfairly steals a valuable resource from law abiding sports people,” Konrad said.

The sale or purchase of less than $50 of game fish is a state misdemeanor and punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and/or up to 90 days of jail. The sale or purchase of more than $50 of game fish is a gross misdemeanor with a minimum fine of $100 and a maximum fine of $3,000 and/or up to a year in jail.

Operation Squarehook was authorized by former DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten and initiated by Konrad in March 2010. Commissioner Landwehr continued the investigation.

In 1993, 45 Minnesotans were charged with criminal conspiracy to illegally transport, take, sell and buy walleye from Red Lake and Leech Lake Indian reservations. The sting operation, started in 1991, was known as Operation Can-Am. The defendants were found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges.

Operation Squarehook is the largest case of illegal commercialization of fish in Minnesota since that case.

For information, visit http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/enforcement/op_squarehook.html