Anchorage, Alaska — A federal court has sentenced Alaska fisherman Corey Potter to one year in prison for illegally transporting live crab across state lines, a violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits the trafficking of illegally harvested wildlife.
Potter, who operated two commercial crab vessels in Southeast Alaska in early 2024, directed his son Kyle Potter and co-defendant Justin Welch to transport thousands of pounds of Tanner and golden king crab to Seattle, bypassing state-mandated reporting requirements. The motive: higher profits in Washington.
Neither vessel stopped at an Alaska port to report the harvest, as required by law. At the time of transport, one vessel carried over 4,200 pounds of Tanner crab, and the other nearly 3,000 pounds of golden king crab. A portion of the Tanner crab was found to be infected with Bitter Crab Syndrome (BCS), a fatal crustacean disease.
Despite warnings from fellow fishermen about the risk of spreading BCS, Corey Potter continued with the plan. As a result, roughly 40% of the golden king crab died during the multi-day trip, rendering them unsellable. The entire catch of BCS-contaminated Tanner crab was confiscated and disposed of in a Washington landfill by state wildlife authorities.
The case worsened when law enforcement discovered that after a March 2024 search warrant was executed, the Potters deleted text messages discussing the BCS infection and their intent to evade Alaska’s fish reporting laws.
Corey Potter was sentenced on May 13, 2025, to 12 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, during which he is banned from commercial fishing.
Kyle Potter was earlier sentenced to a $20,000 fine and five years of probation, while Justin Welch received a $10,000 fine and three years of probation.
The case was investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey.
