March 11, 2024 — On March 7, five individuals charged with a multi-year scheme of selling unreported herring and forging fishing records began trial in the U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine. According to The Courier-Gazette, the trial is expected to last at least nine days.
The five defendants who pleaded not guilty are Glenn Robbins of Eliot, Maine; Neil Herrick of Rockland, Maine; Stephen Little of Warren, Maine; Ethan Chase of Portsmouth, N.H., and Jason Parent of Owls Head, Maine and Western Sea Inc. Some additional defendants previously pleaded guilty.
The fishermen and seafood companies were charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, and obstruction of justice in connection with the multi-year scheme, according to the Penobscot Bay Pilot. The indictment was originally filed on Jan. 27, 2022.