R’wood Monger Sold Undersized Catch
A Ridgewood man is on the hook for improperly catching undersized fish and illegally storing them in his company’s College Point warehouse, prosecutors announced.
Oi Ming Chen, 46, of Seneca Avenue-the owner of Ace Group Seafood International Trading Corp., based at 133-38 32nd Ave. in Flushing-was convicted last Thursday, Feb. 27, of illegally purchasing, packing, holding and storing marine food, fish or crustacea without a license and violating size and catch limits.
Acting Supreme Court Justice John B. Latella Jr. imposed the verdict against Chen and his company following a one-week bench trial, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown. Latella ordered Chen to return to court on Apr. 11 for sentencing; the defendant faces up to four years behind bars.
Brown added that Ace Group also faces a fine of up to $10,000 or twice the amount of the illegal gain, whichever is larger.
“State environmental laws are in effect to wisely manage our wildelife resources and, in this case, to monitor how fish are distributed to retailers and the general public,” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a statement last Friday, Feb. 28. “By failing to obtain the appropriate permits, [Chen] skirted the law and was found to unlawfully possess undersize fish that were stored in a facility not in compliance with state regulations.”
Based on information obtained through an investigation into unlawful fishing and storage practices, agents with the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service raided a College Point warehouse leased by Chen and Ace Group on June 16, 2011.
During the search of the 119th Street location, law enforcement sources said, the agents found several large cement tubs of water containing 50 crates of live tautog (blackfish) and a large quantity of toadfish.
Reportedly, several dozen of the tautog were less than 14 inches in length, the minimum commercial size which New York State permits to be harvested and sold to consumers.
Assistant District Attorney Lauren Steele of the DA’s Economic Crimes Bureau led the prosecution under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Gregory C. Pavlides, bureau chief, and Christina Hanophy, deputy bureau chief.
