ANCHORAGE, AK – A Kodiak fisherman was sentenced this week to one year in federal prison and two years of supervised release for illegally transporting live crab from Alaska to Washington in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court documents, Corey Potter, 64, owned and operated two crab catcher vessels that harvested Tanner and golden king crab in Southeast Alaska during February and March 2024. The vessels were operated by co-defendants Kyle Potter, 30, and Justin Welch, 34. Under Corey Potter’s direction, the vessels transported the catch to Seattle to sell at higher market prices, bypassing required state reporting and port landing regulations.
Authorities reported that at the time of transport, one vessel was carrying over 4,200 pounds of live Tanner crab, while the other had over 2,900 pounds of live golden king crab. A portion of the Tanner crab was later found to be infected with Bitter Crab Syndrome (BCS), a disease fatal to crustaceans. Several fishermen expressed concerns to Corey and Kyle Potter about the potential impact of transporting infected crab out of state, but the plan proceeded despite the warnings.
During the transport, roughly 42% of the golden king crab died and was deemed unmarketable. The entire Tanner crab catch, contaminated with BCS, was transferred to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for disposal.
In March 2024, law enforcement served a search warrant on Welch and one of the vessels. Following the warrant, Corey and Kyle Potter deleted text messages related to the plan before their phones were seized.
Corey Potter pleaded guilty in February 2025 to two felony counts of violating the Lacey Act. Along with prison time, he received a worldwide commercial fishing ban during his supervised release period. The court cited his leadership role and the harm caused by his actions in the sentencing.
Kyle Potter previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in July 2024 to five years of probation, including a five-year global commercial fishing ban and a $20,000 fine. Welch was sentenced in June 2024 to three years of probation and a $10,000 fine.
The case was investigated by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey.
Officials emphasized the importance of strict adherence to state and federal fishing regulations to protect Alaska’s fisheries.
