Seafood Wholesalers Plead Guilty to Selling Falsely Labeled Fish
The Department of Justice announced today that Karen L. Blyth and David H.M. Phelps pleaded guilty in federal court in Mobile, Ala., to 13 felony offenses for their roles in purchasing and selling farm raised Asian catfish and Lake Victoria perch falsely labeled as grouper; selling foreign farm-raised shrimp falsely labeled as U.S. wild caught shrimp, selling shrimp that falsely claimed to be larger, more expensive shrimp than they actually were; and for buying fish they knew had been illegally imported into the United States. Blyth and Phelps were co-owners of Consolidated Seafood Enterprises, Inc. located in Phoenix and Reel Fish and Seafood, Inc. located in Pensacola, Florida. Sentencing is set for May 4, 2011. The pair could face penalties of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A third defendant in the case, John J. Popa had previously pleaded guilty to similar offenses. Popa is scheduled to be sentenced February 22, 2011.