A South Carolina commercial fisherman has been sentenced to federal prison following an investigation led by NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement into illegal fishing practices and false reporting.

Don Rynn, manager of two commercial fishing vessels based in McClellanville, S.C., was sentenced on July 22 by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel to 12 months and one day in prison. He will also serve three years of supervised release and pay a $7,500 fine.

Rynn was convicted of making false statements to federal agents and falsifying trip reports regarding the quantity and quality of fish caught. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.

The investigation began in 2023 when the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources' Saltwater Unit received a tip about potential violations involving the vessel Maximum Retriever. The tip alleged false reporting of snowy grouper and tilefish — both federally managed species with strict commercial trip limits.

According to NOAA Fisheries, video footage showed Rynn and crew members illegally transferring excess fish from the Maximum Retriever to another vessel he managed, the Crystal C. Investigators found that the Maximum Retriever exceeded trip limits by nearly three times for grouper and one and a half times for tilefish.

The captain of the Maximum Retriever told investigators that Rynn directed him to retain all fish caught and planned to transfer any overages to the Crystal C to avoid detection. False reports were then submitted to NOAA Fisheries to conceal the excess harvest.

“It is our job to protect honest fishermen. This verdict should serve as a reminder that those who break the rules will be held accountable,” said Manny Antonaras, assistant director, NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division. “The expertise of our investigators and state partners at South Carolina’s Saltwater Unit were integral in the successful prosecution of this case.”