Geoduck thief sentenced to 14 years

TACOMA — A man accused of running a geoduck poaching ring has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Authorities allege Douglas John Martin Tobin, 50, of Fife stole at least $1.2 million in geoducks from Puget Sound. He was charged with theft, unlawful possession of a firearm and 35 felony and misdemeanor fishing violations.

At his sentencing on Monday, Pierce County Superior Court Judge John McCarthy told the Squaxin Island tribal member his crimes appeared to have significantly degraded the community’s natural resources.

"In our system of justice, where so much attention is given to crimes against persons, we often lose sight of crimes against entire communities," McCarthy said.

"They don’t necessarily have as much pizzazz, but they can have devastating repercussions," he said.

"The state suffers," McCarthy added, "the individuals of the state suffer, the tribes suffer, the individual members of the tribe suffer."

Tobin had been charged with 160 crimes, including leading organized crime. He pleaded guilty in April to reduced charges, and agreed Monday to a 14-year sentence.

Choking back tears, Tobin thanked authorities for helping him deal with the stress of awaiting trial in jail and apologized.

"I’d like to apologize to my mom, thank my family, and my attorney," he said. "That’s it."

Deputy prosecutor Tom Moore said he believes Tobin started his illegal fishing operation in 1997, but the statute of limitations meant prosecutors charged him only with crimes between 2000 and 2002.

During that time, Tobin took about $1.2 million in geoducks and $250,000 in crabs from various areas in the South Puget Sound, Moore said.

"He left the dock at night, without lights on," the deputy prosecutor said. "He would go to different areas. And sometimes they would even off-load at a different landing some place and then take the boat back."

Tobin, who owned the Toulok Seafoods processing plant in Fife, sold his catch to Canada, California and a local man who paid cash, prosecutors said.

"He eliminated his bookkeeping," Moore said. "He stole at least $1.2 million from the state. He wrecked biologists’ survey. There’s discord among the tribes in the state now because of this."

It’s not just about geoducks, said detective Bill Jarmon of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"It’s about greed and it’s about money," he said. "It didn’t just take away from the recreational fisherman. For some people, this is their livelihood."

Tobin wasn’t working alone.

About 30 people are suspected of taking part in the scheme, Jarmon said. Some already have been charged.

Robert Sizemore, a biologist with the Fish and Wildlife Department, told the judge during the hearing that Tobin’s crimes had cost the state $764,000 in fees for fishing vessels.

Tobin’s criminal history lengthened his sentence. He has a mid-1980s conviction for manslaughter for his involvement in the murder-for-hire of a Thurston County woman and 1976 Kitsap County convictions for first-degree burglary and second-degree assault.

Defense attorney Allen Ressler said Tobin stole for the same reasons others do. "It’s like every other illegitimate capitalism," he said. "He’s just trying to make a buck. He has two kids, and he was trying to support them."