– News from elsewhere covered by Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.
Codfather convicted but no accord yet on the fate of his fishing permits.
Carlos Rafael, also known as the Godfather, may be going away to prison in November, but the problems he has created for federal fishery managers are sure to last well beyond the slamming of his cell door.
One day after Rafael was sentenced to almost four years in federal prison for his orchestrated fish scam, the New England Fishery Management Council on Tuesday formally addressed L’Affaire Rafael for the first time in open session.
The consensus? There is no consensus as to what do about his fishing permits.
On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge William Young deferred a final decision on a forfeiture plan posed by federal prosecutors, saying it requires more study to ensure its constitutionality.
In the end, Young may take it out of the hands of the council and NOAA Fisheries by issuing his own judicial order on the fate of the assets that remain in the Rafael fishing empire.
Read Full Story: No accord on the fate of Rafael’s fishing permits
If I may be permitted to say, this case will surely continue to be contentious until long after Carlos is sleeping with the fishes.