A 61-year-old commercial fisherman from the US state of Florida has been found guilty of making false statements on trip reports and lying to federal agents.

The US Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina confirmed last month that a federal jury convicted Don Rynn of Augustine, Florida, following a three-day trial.

"Those who attempt to circumvent federal fishing regulations and deceive law enforcement will be held accountable," acting US attorney Brook B. Andrews for the district of South Carolina said in a statement. "Our marine resources are vital, and we will not tolerate those who prioritize personal gain over sustainable practices and the rule of law."

An investigation found that Rynn, who managed several commercial fishing areas in the McClellanville area of South Carolina, ignored federally imposed quotas. One incident that occurred in March 2023 resulted in one of the vessels managed by Rynn bringing in "almost three times the limit of snowy grouper on board, and one and a half times the allowable number of grey tilefish."

Rynn had ordered the deckhands to move some of the fish from one vessel to a separate vessel that had not caught any. Additional fish were then transported to another dealer. In the mandatory trip report, Rynn only recorded the catch up to the limit, hiding that one vessel overfished and transferred it to another.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources ultimately received a tip about suspected overfishing, which led to an investigation of Rynn and the vessels he managed. Rynn then proceeded to lie to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration law enforcement agents, telling them that "the snowy grouper and tilefish had been contaminated by a fuel spill while at sea, and that he had disposed of them in a dumpster."

Following a three-day trial presided over by US district judge Richard M. Gergel, Rynn was found guilty of making false statements and lying to federal agents. Gergel is set to sentence the commercial fisherman after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the US Probation Office. 

Rynn faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and three years of supervision following imprisonment.