Colorado Man Pleads Guilty In Missouri Paddlefish Case
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Colorado man has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking caviar from paddlefish that were caught in western Missouri.
The U.S. attorney's office says 49-year-old Felix Baravik, of Aurora, Colorado, entered the guilty plea Tuesday.
A pregnant paddlefish can have about 20 pounds of eggs and those eggs can be sold for as much as $35 an ounce.
Paddlefish can be legally fished in Missouri, but the daily catch limit is two. Missouri law prohibits the transportation of paddlefish eggs that have been removed from a paddlefish carcass and also outlaws their sale, purchase, or the offer of sale or purchase of paddlefish eggs.
Under the terms of Baravik's plea agreement, the government agreed to recommend a sentence of three years of probation and a $5,000 fine.
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
