Man gets prison time, fine for stealing coral

Advertiser Staff and News Services

A 51-year-old Hale'iwa man was sentenced in Los Angeles Wednesday to 10 months in prison and ordered to pay the Hawai'i Department of Land & Natural Resources $30,000 for his part in a conspiracy to remove more than 150 tons of "live" rock and coral from Kane'ohe Bay.

John Marquardsen pleaded guilty Aug. 23 to removing live rock, which is considered wildlife under both state and federal laws, from a protected area and shipping it by commercial airlines to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle from 1994 through 1998 using bills of lading falsely describing the rock as "smoked fish."

The coral was distributed on the Mainland to fish and marine supply shops.

The estimated value of the stolen coral is between $350,000 and $1 million, according to the U.S. attorney's office of Central District California, where Marquardsen was sentenced.

King Wong, 57, of Honolulu was previously sentenced to serve 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $30,000 restitution to the state of Hawai'i. Three others involved in the conspiracy have been convicted.