A former U.S. Senate fisheries expert – who falsely reported his own catch – will now be sentenced in February.
Arne Fuglvog’s sentencing in U.S. District Court was previously scheduled for Friday, November 18. Judge H. Russell Holland on Thursday approved the latest delay, proposed earlier in the week by Fuglvog’s attorney Jeffrey Feldman.
The hearing scheduled for Friday had already been postponed to December 7 because Feldman had a scheduling conflict this week with clients in another case out-of-state. The latest continuance moves it to February 7, according to electronic federal court records.
Fuglvog pled guilty in August to one count of violating the federal Lacey Act for falsifying catch records of sablefish intended for interstate commerce.
The Petersburg fisherman had worked as a fisheries aide for U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski from 2006 until July of this year. He resigned the day before the charges became public and details of a plea agreement were released.
Fuglvog broke the commercial fishing laws before he took the Senate job.
Under his plea agreement, he is to be sentenced to ten months in prison and a $50,000 fine. He also will be required to give $100,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The non-profit was created by Congress in 1984 and directs public conservation funds to preservation and restoration projects for wildlife species and habitats.
