A Kake man was sentenced on Friday for illegally selling two tanned sea otter pelts to an undercover officer.
U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that 36-year-old Michael E. Smith, a resident of Sitka, will serve six months in prison followed by a year of supervised release. During the supervised release, Smith, who was previously employed by the Sitka Tribal Tannery, cannot hunt or participate in the sale or manufacture of marine mammal products.
According to court documents, Smith sold two whole sea otter pelts to an undercover agent for $800 -- a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The tanned pelts were then shipped outside of Alaska to the undercover agent, which is also a violation of the Lacey Act of 1900. The Lacey Act prohibits trade of wildlife that has been illegally taken, transported or sold, and was signed into law by President William McKinley, for whom Mount Denali was renamed during his first presidential run.
Smith's sentencing is the result of an undercover investigation that lasted more than a year and was targeted against illegal sea otter hunting and trafficking in Southeast Alaska, Anchorage and Fairbanks. The investigation has documented numerous individuals accused of similar violations.
To date, two individuals other than Smith have pleaded guilty to illegal sea otter commercialization and are serving their sentences in federal prison. The judge who sentenced Smith, Magistrate Leslie Longenbaugh, expressed particular concern that Smith broke the law despite holding the position of a village police officer.