by Craig Welch
A long line of men and women: See: “Three U. S. game and law agents retire from active service,” Department of Interior, September 30, 1940; Louis S. Warren, The Hunter’s Game: Poachers and Conservationists in Twentieth-Century America (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997), pp. 34–43; and “Wildlife Bureau Agents Are Competent Detectives,” Hartford Courant, October 26, 1941.
Peanut Man dispensed nuts: Jerry Smith, interview.
The Yoshi files sat untouched: Newcomer, interview; and in probable cause affadavit for the roller pigeon case, filed by Newcomer in USA vs. McGhee et al. (07-CR-0737), May 17, 2007.
“What are you doing here?”: This exchange is as recollected by Newcomer.
“You ever get these chimaeras?”: Conversation is verbatim, from audio recording.
In a recorded telephone call: Quotes here are taken from Newcomer’s affadavit, where they are recorded as direct quotes.
Newcomer brought Yoshi down: All quotes here are taken directly from copies of video chats between Newcomer and Kojima.
Tobin shared Newcomer’s talents: From Severtson, Volz, Samuels, interviews with author.
Severtson wanted Tobin to get close to Gene Canfield: Quotes in the opening paragraph are from Canfield, interview with author. All remaining quotes are from transcripts of recorded conversations between Canfield and Tobin.
Canfield had told Tobin about a California clam market: Gene Canfield’s role in the DeCourville case was detailed by Charles Tyer in a search warrant affadavit, USA vs. Premises Known as 4865 Rollingwood (CR-97-1107), June 18, 1997; defendant’s sentencing memorandum, USA vs. DeCourville (CR97-5301), December 17, 1997; daily memos to file by agents Severtson and Dali Borden documenting illegal sales; memo to Micki Brunner and J. Lord from Dali Borden, October 7, 1997; and transcripts and official synopses of undercover telephone calls.
Late on a hot August night in 1996: Transcript of undercover call between Tobin and Canfield, 10:30 P.M., August 21, 1996.
“In China?” Canfield asked: Sheryl WuDunn, “China’s Rush to Riches,” New York Times Magazine, September 4, 1994; Wen Wei Po stories; Severtson, interview with author.
Canfield tutored him in illegal geoduck harvesting: Tape synopsis of undercover meeting between Tobin and Canfield, August 25, 1996; search warrant in USA vs. Premises Known as 4865 Rollingwood.
The next day, Severtson opened an account: Severtson, memos to file. Copies of invoices used in these transactions for Tobin’s company, Blue Raven, which depict a bird in flight. The logo was designed by Special Agent Al Samuels.
That night, Severtson, Borden, and Bill Jarmon: Severtson memo to file, “Sale of Product on August 27, 1996,” September 30, 1996; defendant’s sentencing memorandum, USA vs. DeCourville.
The next day the Las Vegas broker called Tobin: Sentencing memorandum, USA vs. DeCourville.
CHAPTER SIX: KINGPIN
The detectives knew the name: Volz, memo to file, synopsis of contacts with Jong Park by statewide investigative unit, May 17, 1996; David Pearson, witness interview with Volz and Harrington, September 18, 1996; Jong Park, voluntary statement, Department of Fish and Wildlife, January 24, 1997; Steve Hoidal, witness statement to Severtson and Volz, September 23, 1997.
DeCourville had contacted the cops: Tyer, search warrant affadavit, USA vs. Premises Known as 4865 Rollingwood.
The investigators learned about DeCourville: Most profile information taken from USA vs. DeCourville, defendant’s sentencing memorandum, December 17, 1997.
DeCourville eventually worked his way into: Beverly Beyette, “Hefner and Ex-Bunnies Set to Toast the End of an Era,” Los Angeles Times, June 30, 1986; James Bartels, interview with author.
One DeCourville patron: Isgro’s status as a regular came from Bartels. Isgro’s legal issues are detailed in: USA vs. Isgro (CR-89-00951) and USA vs. Isgro (CR-00-00326).
By then DeCourville had remarried: Linda Gentille, interview with author; Mary Barber, “Sit-down Comic at the Keyboard Plays in Some Strange Situations,” Los Angeles Times, January 17, 1985; Carrie Delmar, “She Keyes Elderly to High Note,” Los Angeles Daily News, August 13, 1986.
Gene Canfield and Doug Tobin kept talking regularly: Charles Tyer, search warrant affadavit, USA vs. Premises Known as 4865 Rollingwood; defendant’s sentencing memorandum, USA vs. DeCourville; daily memos to file by agents Severtson and Dali Borden, August–October 1996; and in transcripts and official synopses of undercover telephone calls.
The Vegas broker quickly warmed to his new: This conversation was recorded by Borden on September 11, 1996. Volz played a cassette copy of it for me in spring 2008.
Canfield would “never rat anybody out”: Quotes taken from transcript of telephone call recorded on September 5, 1996.
DeCourville confided that he controlled 70 percent: Transcript of call, September 5, 1996.
By early fall, though, the state: Borden, Severtson, in dozens of memos to file, August–December 1996.
Sometimes it was the rookie federal agent: Samuels, interview; Rothaus, interview.
DeCourville remained confident he could outsmart mere fish cops: Quotes from transcript of undercover call, September 25, 1996.
Federal agent Vicki Nomura began posing: Quotes from transcript, October 1, 1996.
DeCourville had been getting divers to “pencil whip” the harvest: “Paralytic shellfish poisoning strikes Kodiak,” Epidemiology Bulletin, State of Alaska, no. 13, June 20, 1994; “Epidemiologic notes and reports: Shellfish poisoning—Massachussets and Alaska, 1990,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control, March 15, 1991. For more on dinoflagellates see: Edward R. Ricciuti, Killers of the Seas: The Dangerous Creatures that Threaten Man in an Alien Environment (Guilford, CT: Lyons Press, 2003), pp. 143–148.
But the risk isn’t just to the other side of the world: The story of the midwestern monkeypox outbreak was shared with me most eloquently by Darin Carroll, interview with author; and Jennifer McQuiston, interview. For more information see the CDC’s monkeypox page: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/monkeypox/; and Liana Sun Wyler and Pervase Sheikh, “International illegal trade in wildlife: Threats and U.S. policy,” Congressional Research Service, updated August 2008. See also: Margaret Ebrahim, “Giant Rats Spread Disease in Florida,” Associated Press, November 29, 2006.
some investigators remained skeptical: Volz, Harrington, Samuels, interviews.
The long history of antagonism: Accounts of the Northwest fishing wars of the mid-twentieth century are culled from interviews with Volz, Jarmon, Buerger, and Tobin; from a series of stories written by Robert Mottram in the News Tribune: “Angry Gillnetters Ram 7 Patrol Boats,” October 7, 1976; “FBI Fishing Violence Probe Sought,” October 21, 1976; “Shot Fisherman Paralyzed,” October 28, 1976; from Janet McCloud and Robert Casey, “The Last Indian War,” in the monthly Indian newsletter Survival News, Seattle bulletins nos. 29 and 30; and from several books: Uncommon Controversy: Fishing Rights of the Muckleshoot, Puyallup and Nisqually Indians (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1970); Fay G. Cohen, Treaties on Trial: The Continuing Controversy over Northwest Indian Fishing Rights (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1986); and Charles Wilkinson, Messages from Frank’s Landing (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2000).
Severtson tried in subtle ways to keep Tobin in check: Severtson, Samuels, interviews.
The cops’ previous informant, Dave Ferguson: Gene Porter and Richard Hansen, USA vs. Jeffrey Jolibois (96-CR-5320), evidentiary hearing, sentencing, November 15, 1996.
“Where’s the monitor?”: Quotes from tape synopsis, May 12, 1997.
Prices fluctuated by the day: Evelyn Iritani, “Geoducks: Garbage into Gold,” Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1997.
CHAPTER SEVEN: “IT’S JUST A BUSINESS THING”
Wildlife trafficking attracted violence: See source list from “Elephant Tusks, Wild Furs” in chapter one. See also: Dee Cook, Martin Roberts, and Jason Lowther, “The international wildlife trade and o
rganised crime: A review of the evidence and the role of the UK,” Regional Research Institute, University of Wolverhampton, June 2002; David E. Kaplan and Alec Dubro, Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003).
In 1991 Brooklyn police found: Thomas Dades, interview.
In the 1980s, Special Agent Andy Cohen saw: Cohen, interview; Sea Cop, pp. 174–175.
Tobin arrived twenty minutes late: Severtson, interview.
“That’s not right”: Quotes from transcript of call placed at 9:20 P.M., June 4, 1997.
Bakker, a fast-talking broker: Severtson, Samuels, Casey Bakker, interviews.
“They’re going to call me back tonight”: Severtson played the actual audio recording of this call for me. I also have the transcript. It was placed at 4:45 P.M., June 5, 1997.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen “Micki” Brunner: Micki Brunner, interview; quote is as recalled by Brunner.
Severtson checked in on agents Cohen and Samuels: Cohen, Samuels, interviews.
the agents were certain they’d found their man: Rick Jones is mentioned throughout USA vs. Nichols DeCourville (97-CR-5056), complaint for violation, August 27, 1997; by James Bartels in memorandum of interview with Severtson, July 1, 1997.
On a Sunday in June 1997, Jones rolled out: This section is taken from an FBI 302 memo by Special Agents R. T. Ballard and Stanley E. Orenallas, from their interview with Jones on June 19, 1997; from Severtson’s July 1 interview with Bartels; from copies of the Best Western motel bill with Jones’s name on it; from a report to file of Severtson and Cohen’s interview with Jones, July 2, 1997; from a report of Severtson’s interview with DeCourville on June 19, 1997; from telephone records; and from my interview with Bartels.
A phalanx of state and federal agents: This scene is culled primarily from: Vicki Nomura, report to file, arrest and search warrants in Las Vegas, July 8, 1997. Nomura wrote thirteen single-spaced pages about the day’s events, and her report includes details about DeCourville’s facial tics and the level of smoke in the air. Also used were: Severtson, execution of search and arrest, memo to file, June 24, 1997; Volz, search warrant service at DeCourville residence, June 25, 1997; and interviews with Volz, Severtson, and Tyer.
Ron Peregrin, had bought wraparound casts: Ron Peregrin, interview. Bakker doesn’t recall the details but doesn’t dispute Peregrin’s recollection.
At 6:35 A.M., Detective Kevin Harrington: From reports by Fish and Wildlife officers Ron Druer and Larry Baker and a minute-by-minute search execution log by Ralph Woods, all dated June 19, 1997; and from a narrative report by Harrington, June 20, 1997.
That same morning, a caravan: Peregrin, interview; search warrant affadavit, unsealed at my request.
Also that day, two FBI agents: From Ballard and Orenallas, 302 memo.
Two weeks after the raids: Severtson and Cohen, report to file, interview with Jones, July 2, 1997; Cohen, interview; I have a photocopy of the National Marine Fisheries Service photograph of Jones holding his stuffed animal.
CHAPTER EIGHT: AN INCREDIBLE VIRUS
Flipping through the DeCourville files: From Brunner, interview; Cohen, interview; Buerger, interview; Brunner’s opening and closing statements in USA vs. Hansen-Sturm (93-CR-02166), 1993; Stephen Darnell, memorandum of interview with Cohen, 1992; U.S. Customs, report of investigation, Hansen Caviar Company, February 15, 1991; Cohen, affadavit for search warrant, Hansen Caviar Company, June 15, 1992; Cohen, “Sturgeon Poaching and Black Market Caviar: A Case Study,” Underwater Naturalist 28, no. 1 (2004): 23–26; and Lee Wohlfert, “That Spoonful of Fish Eggs Costs a Mere $12,” People, August 21, 1978.
The DeCourville case could also make headlines: Brunner, interview; Rick Anderson, “Assailant Paroled; Brother Still in Prison,” Seattle Times, December 6, 1977; Paul Clegg, “20-Year Sentence for Attack on Former Footballer,” Bremerton Sun, April 7, 1976; State of Washington vs. Douglas John Martin Tobin (86-1-342-1), entire case file; State of Washington vs. Daryl Burns and David Jirovec (86-1-366-9), entire case file.
Tobin’s story sounded implausible: Severtson, interview; Harrington, interview; Volz, interview; Jarmon, interview; Cohen, interview; Samuels, interview. Several investigative case files.
Doug Tobin, on the other hand: Tobin’s artwork has been well displayed in galleries in Olympia. Jay Geck, a lawyer with the state attorney general’s office, saw Tobin and his work on display during a fund-raising event for a local land trust. See also: Marsha King, “New Project to Showcase NW Native Art—Plan Focuses on Tribal Self-Sufficiency,” Seattle Times, August 13, 1996. Information about the welcome pole is from: Tobin, interview; Duane Pasco, interview; Edward Binder, interview; Robin Wright, interview; Russell Lidman and Michael Bisesi, “The Welcome Pole: Public Art, Process, and Controversy,” The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society 34, no. 4 (Winter 2005): 245–261.
Tobin seemed equally triumphant in business: I had two short interviews with Jeffrey Albulet, who told me the story about Tobin helping the homeless man. Other details about his relationship with Albulet and Ng come from State of Washington vs. Albulet and Ng (05-2-254-6), and include affadavits from several geoduck divers; a sixteen-page single-spaced memorandum of an interview with Doug Tobin by Karolyn R. Klohe, assistant attorney general, June 15, 2005; transcripts of attorney general interviews with several additional members of Tobin’s crew.
Tobin partnered with a friend, Adrian Lugo: Details are from Adrian Lugo, interview; transcripts of an attorney general interview with Adrian Lugo, April 13, 2005; Himanee Gupta, “Entrepreneur Fulfills Artistic Interests through Construction,” Seattle Times, April 22, 1991; “Brief profiles of 15 Inc. 500 companies and their founders,” Inc., December 1, 1990. Lugo’s company was number 274 on the magazine’s list of top 500 small businesses. Details about the tractor salesman come from Volz, interview; a timeline of contacts between wildlife agents, Gary Ufer, and Doug Tobin in 1997; a witness statement from Tobin about Ufer to Severtson and Volz, October 15, 1998; and a statement from Ufer about Tobin to detectives, October 21, 1998.
Ed Volz could feel the Feds’ priorities: Volz, Severtson, interviews. Paul Watson, interview. For more about the whale hunt see: Robert Sullivan, A Whale Hunt: Two Years on the Olympic Peninsula with the Makah and Their Canoe (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000).
On a cold morning early in 2000: Descriptions are all taken from the video footage itself.
CHAPTER NINE: A SEA OF ABUNDANCE
Puget Sound holds millions of geoducks: Vadopalas, Bradbury, Goodwin, Sizemore, Rothaus, Pauly, interviews.
History is filled with once-prolific sea creatures: From Claudio Richter, Hilly Roa-Quiaoit, Carin Jantzen, Mohammad Al-Zibdah, and Marc Kochzius, “Collapse of a new living species of giant clam in the Red Sea,” Current Biology 18, no. 17 (September 9, 2008): 1349–1354. Interviews and e-mail exchanges with Daniel Pauly and fellow marine biologist Jennifer Jacquet helped me grasp this study’s significance.
Stocks of the world’s most prized fish: I gathered some of this information with a colleague for a story in 2004 about John Kerry. See: Hal Bernton and Craig Welch, “Fight over Fishing Tested Kerry’s ‘Green’ Credentials,” Seattle Times, September 30, 2004. See also: Beth Daley and Gareth Cook, “A Once-Great New England Fishing Industry on Brink, as Rules Squander Catches,” Boston Globe, October 26, 2003. For the best full accounting of cod’s significance and collapse see: Mark Kurlansky, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (New York: Penguin, 1997).
Still, invertebrates such as shellfish, sea urchins: I also reported this for the Seattle Times. See: Craig Welch, “Abalone Are Treasured—Nearly to Extinction,” Seattle Times, May 13, 2009. Also interviews with: Bradbury, Rothaus, Vadopalas.
About the time Ed Volz was making: Vadopalas, Bradbury, interviews. Bradbury articulated a distinction between extinction and collapse. Even with an ecological catastrophe—which, of course, could come with climate change or ocean acidification—geoduck
s are extremely unlikely to face extinction from fishing or poaching. There are too many of them. But the number of geoducks could drop substantially and drive the clam-fishing industry toward collapse. That’s what happened with Atlantic cod. It is by no means gone, just too scarce to be fished at the level it once was. That drives fishermen to other species, changes ocean ecology, and leaves cod populations more vulnerable to disease and environmental changes. For more see: Ray Hilborn and Carl J. Walters, Quantitative Fisheries Stock Assessment: Choice, Dynamics and Uncertainty (Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1992). See also: J. M. (Lobo) Orensanz, Claudia M. Hand, Ana M. Parma, et al., “Precaution in the harvest of Methuselah’s clams—the difficulty of getting timely feedback from slow-paced dynamics,” Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciencies 61, no. 8 (2004): 1355–1372; and Juan L. Valero et al., “Geoduck recruitment in the Pacific Northwest,” California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations Reports, vol. 45, 2004.
There was also the looming threat: A. Whitman Miller, Amanda C. Reynolds, et al., “Shellfish face uncertain future in high CO2 world: Influence of acidification on oyster larvae calcification and growth in estuaries,” PloS One 4, no. 5 (May 27, 2009). See also: Craig Welch, “Oysters in Deep Trouble: Is Pacific Ocean’s Chemistry Killing Sea Life?” Seattle Times, June 14, 2009.
By the turn of the century, overfishing and seafood smuggling were commonplace: Velisarios Kattoulas, “The death of sushi: Japan’s passion for sushi is fueling a huge trade in illegally caught seafood that’s endangering fish stocks and enriching organized crime,” Far Eastern Economic Review, August 15, 2002; Elisabeth Rosenthal, “Europe’s Appetite for Seafood Propels Illegal Trade,” New York Times, January 15, 2008. For more about the decline of the marine world’s largest ocean fish see: Ransom A. Myers and Boris Worm, “Rapid worldwide depletion of predatory fish communities” Nature, May 15, 2003; and Worm, Ray Hilborn, et al., “Rebuilding global fisheries,” Science 325, no. 5940 (July 31, 2009): 578–585.