Washington -- Justice Department officials say seven men have been charged with catching and selling illegal rockfish from the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River.
Authorities say five fishermen falsified records claiming where and when they caught the rockfish, which are highly protected. The men are from St. Mary's and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland, and Falls Church, Ashburn and Prince William County in Virginia.
A Justice Department spokesman says the fish were then bought by Robert Moore, owner of Cannon Seafood in Georgetown. Moore and his son, who is an employee at the market, have also been charged in the case.
Authorities say investigators from the federal government and Maryland Natural Resources Police posed as out-of-state wholesalers to buy illegally caught fish. They began investigating rockfish trafficking in 2003.
