Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 01/08/07

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

ILLEGAL ABALONE TRANSACTIONS RESULT IN FELONY CONVICTIONS

Defendants Kalen Tanaka of Hayward and Jeffrey Chow, a restaurant owner in Alameda, will be paying a total of $60,000 to the County of Sonoma and the Fish and Game Preservation Fund after pleading guilty to felony conspiracy charges of harvesting abalone for commercial purposes in a closed area and selling or buying sport-caught abalone.

District Attorney Passalacqua noted that this case serves as a reminder that these type of violations are considered and treated as serious offenses in this community.

The investigation began with a tip in 2003 to the Special Operations Unit of the California Fish and Game Department. The investigation established that Mr. Tanaka drove with other divers to the Sonoma and Mendocino Coasts taking their legal limits of abalones. They then delivered the abalone to Mr. Chow in Alameda County. The Fish and Game wardens observed this conduct on several occasions and also obtained proof that Mr. Chow paid approximately $40 for each abalone.

Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Chow will be sentenced on February 22, 2007. They are expected to serve 90 days each in the Sonoma County jail and be placed on three years formal probation. Both suffer a lifetime revocation of their fishing licenses.

Deputy District Attorney Jane Murray handled the prosecution of this case. Fish and Game Warden Bart Bundesen investigated the crime.