When it comes to commercial fishing in Alaska, the vessel name Bad Intentions turned out to be more than a catchy moniker — it was allegedly a mission statement.
A federal grand jury has indicted five experienced Southeast Alaska fishermen in a sweeping conspiracy to illegally harvest thousands of pounds of halibut, in violation of the Lacey Act. One of the boats at the center of the scheme? The F/V Bad Intentions.
Jonathan Pavlik, 43, of Yakutat, is accused of masterminding the operation, allegedly conspiring with Vincent Jacobson, 51, and Kyle Dierick, 36, both of Yakutat; Michael Babic, 42, of Cordova; and Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington. The indictment alleges the fishermen coordinated illegal halibut harvests near Yakutat from 2019 through 2023.
According to court documents, Pavlik and the others routinely broke federal law by reporting that halibut had been legally caught under their Individual Fishing Quota permits, even when some of them weren’t even aboard the fishing vessel during harvests, a requirement under federal regulations. In total, over 10,700 pounds of halibut were allegedly harvested and falsely reported.
The indictment goes on to detail a particularly brazen episode between August and October 2023, when more than 9,600 pounds of halibut harvested aboard the Bad Intentions were allegedly offloaded onto another vessel, the F/V New Era, and then falsely reported and sold.
Pavlik faces four counts of conspiracy, five counts of unlawful sale, and five counts of false labeling under the Lacey Act. His alleged co-conspirators — Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross — are each charged with one count of conspiracy.
If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in federal prison for each count and fines up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by NOAA’s Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division, with assistance from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers. It is being prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
Initial court appearances are scheduled over the next two weeks before US Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble in Anchorage.
In Alaska’s high-stakes fisheries, the rules are strict and the penalties are steep. If prosecutors win their case, the road to jail may be paved with Bad Intentions.