B.C. man pleads guilty to importing spoiled fish into Washington state

SEATTLE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office says a B.C. fish company and its owner have pleaded guilty to illegally importing food that was previously refused entry into the United States.

It says in a statement that Seven Seas Fish Company Ltd. of Richmond and its owner John Heras of Delta made the plea Friday, admitting they imported more than 4,000 kilograms of potentially spoiled fish into the United States.

Court records say Seven Seas purchased more than 5,400 kilograms of a frozen white fish in Mexico.

When the company tried to import the fish into the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration found too much of the product was spoiled.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Seven Seas shipped the fish to B.C., claiming it would be distributed in Canada, then proceeded to sell the fish to customers in Washington state and elsewhere.

It says importation of previously refused food is punishable by up to a year in prison, although prosecutors have agreed to recommend probation for Heras with sentencing scheduled for Feb. 7.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2019.