November 3, 2017 — NORFOLK, Va. — Tommy Zhou knew what they were doing was illegal, according to court documents.
American eel stocks were low as Asian markets rushed to buy more, and strict caps were being imposed on U.S. fishermen.
And, he said, he was willing to spend $200,000 to have them killed if they betrayed him.
Zhou, 42, of New York, was sentenced Friday to 1½ years in prison for illegally trafficking more than $150,000 worth of juvenile American eels, also known as “elvers” or “glass eels.”
Federal guidelines recommend a sentence of at least one year and four months.
Trial Attorney Shane Waller of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division declined to comment, as did Zhou’s attorneys.
According to court documents, Zhou established a seafood distribution company in 2010 in New York. The company, known as Wilson Group Sea Trading LLC, imported and exported seafood.
Read the full story at the Virginian-Pilot