Almost one yr after pleading responsible to illegally harvesting paddlefish within the Ohio River, the son-in-law of Indiana’s former “Caviar King” was sentenced final week in federal court docket. 

Joseph Schigur of English, Ind. must serve 5 years of probation, together with six months of dwelling confinement, and carry out 40 hours of group service. U.S. District Choose Douglas R. Cole of the Southern District of Ohio additionally fined Schigur $5,500 and ordered him to pay almost $65,000 in restitution. 

Schigur pleaded responsible in Might 2021 to violating the federal Lacey Act after a years-long undercover wildlife poaching investigation. That very same investigation, often called Operation Charlie, despatched Schigur’s father-in-law, David Cox, to federal jail in 2018. 

Schigur’s responsible plea is in connection to a few outings on the Ohio River in 2015 and 2016. Throughout these fishing journeys, he and a conservation officer working undercover hauled in additional than 100 paddlefish from waters which might be closed to industrial fishing. 

The American paddlefish, additionally known as a “primitive fish,” is an odd-looking prehistoric creature discovered within the Ohio River. It is likely one of the largest fish present in its native Ohio River and may develop as much as 6 ft lengthy and weigh 100 kilos. 

These fish can take as many as 10 years earlier than they’ll reproduce, and enormous mature females can produce greater than 500,000 eggs. The paddlefish gives a high-quality substitute to the caviar from European beluga sturgeon, which has change into extra scarce on account of overfishing. 

Paddlefish: Paddlefish poaching probe nets son-in-law of Indiana ‘caviar king’

Violation of wildlife trafficking regulation

Federal prosecutors mentioned that Schigur obtained roughly 1,400 kilos of fish meat and 72 kilos of caviar from the three fishing journeys in waters which might be managed by the state of Ohio. 

Schigur harvested the paddlefish and roe in violation of Ohio regulation, which doesn’t enable the industrial harvest of paddlefish. Paddlefish are listed as a threatened species underneath Ohio regulation, however industrial fishermen are allowed to internet them in parts of the river managed by Indiana and Kentucky.

These actions additionally violated the federal Lacey Act, the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute. It prohibits transporting wildlife in interstate commerce if the wildlife was unlawful underneath state legal guidelines. 

After netting the fish within the prohibited space, prosecutors mentioned Schigur took them again to his enterprise, Ohio Valley Caviar LLC., in English. There, he eliminated the roe from the females and processed it into caviar. The fish meat was then reduce into small items known as “bullets” and frozen. Most of the caviar and meat was offered to consumers in New York Metropolis, prosecutors mentioned.

“America’s pure assets are susceptible to the greed of unlawful wildlife traffickers who goal to revenue off America’s various fishery and wildlife assets,” John Brooks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Particular Agent in Cost for the Midwest Area, mentioned in an announcement. “Because of collaborative investigations with our state counterparts, we’ve been working to cease them.”  

Schigur’s sentence is considerably lower than the potential penalty he confronted, which was as much as 5 years in jail and a $250,000 wonderful. The $64,465 in restitution Schigur should pay will go to the Ohio Division of Pure Sources. 

Who was the “Caviar King”? 

Schigur is married to the daughter of David Cox. Certainly one of Indiana’s most profitable and colourful caviar fishermen, Cox was sentenced to 2 years in federal jail in 2018. Cox, who had a previous Lacey Act conviction, pleaded responsible to preserving a paddlefish smaller than allowed by Indiana regulation and possessing firearms after being convicted of a previous felony.

Poaching: The wonderful rise — and surprising fall — of Indiana’s caviar king

Fees in each circumstances got here out of the identical investigation that started in 2014 and at instances concerned an Indiana conservation officer who labored undercover as a deckhand for each Cox and Schigur.

Cox was launched from jail in 2020, however is banned from industrial fishing and caviar processing for 3 years.

Schigur additionally can’t be concerned in any industrial fishing exercise throughout his probation and should give up any industrial fishing licenses he at the moment possesses. 

IndyStar editor Tim Evans contributed to this report. 

Name IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or e mail at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Comply with her on Twitter and Fb: @IndyStarSarah. Join with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Be a part of The Scrub on Fb.

IndyStar’s environmental reporting challenge is made doable by the beneficiant help of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Belief.