The former chief financial officer of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) was sentenced to eight months in federal prison for stealing over $211,000 from the agency’s employee health benefit trust account, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
The former executive, Pamela J. Kahut, 68, of Wilsonville, Ore., was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay $211,083.27 in restitution, and pay a $10,000 fine.
Federal prosecutors said that between October 2014 and September 2020, Kahut used her access to the trust account to pay her spouse’s long-term care premiums, cover personal credit card bills, and repay pension loans. The account was funded in part by federal grant money and was intended to cover employee health care expenses.
Kahut was charged with Theft in Connection with Health Care on April 8, 2025, and pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Trisotto prosecuted the case.
Established in 1947, PSMFC is an interstate compact agency that helps resource agencies and the fishing industry manage Pacific Ocean resources in a five-state region. Member states include California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.
