A fisherman’s plans went adrift when he caught a fish out of season and disposed of the evidence in the woods.
Harold Wentworth, 41, of Gloucester, Mass., pleaded guilty on Monday for catching a bluefin tuna worth an estimated $10,000, The Salem News reports.
Surveillance footage showed the fish being unload from a boat and dragged behind a truck back in October of 2017. The carcass was found in a wooded area three days later.
Wentworth pleaded guilty to littering from a vehicle, improper disposal of waste and driving after license suspension. He was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. This is on top of a $15,000 fine already imposed by federal fisheries regulators.
A tow truck was used to haul the 400-pound headless fish out of the woods. It was sent to a farm for composting.
The Salem News says the case of the decapitated fish drew international attention in 2017.
