The owner of a Queens seafood trading company has been convicted of improperly storing and selling undersized fish.
Oi Ming Chen was found guilty by a Queens judge on Thursday after a bench trial for buying and storing fish and crustaceans without a license and violating size and catch limits.
“State environmental laws are in effect to wisely manage our wildlife resources and in this case, to monitor how fish are distributed to retailers and the general public,” said DA Richard A. Brown. “By failing to obtain the appropriate permits, [Chen] skirted the law.”
Chen, 46, is the owner of Ace Group International Seafood Corporation in Flushing and was busted in October 2011 for housing and distributing smaller than regulated blackfish and toadfish.
The undersized blackfish – less than 14 inches long – were found by state environmental investigators at a College Point warehouse inside large cement tubs of water.
Chen, who is free on his own recognizance, faces up to four years in prison when sentenced on April 11 and a fine of up to $10,000 or double the amount of the illegal gain.