SAN DIEGO -  On July 17, 2018 the San Diego City Attorney announced that a serial lobster poacher is headed to jail for 45 days after pleading guilty to charges that he violated a court order by unlawfully removing 12 spiny lobsters from the South La Jolla State Marine Reserve.

Prior to his July 11, 2018 arrest on the latest charges, Xuan Lam Hoang had been cited four times by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for poaching lobsters in the South La Jolla State Marine Reserve.

“We will continue to work with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect precious marine resources so that they are available for future generations,” said San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott.

In addition to 45 days in custody, under the plea agreement, Hoang was placed on three years of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and to forfeit all the fishing gear and spiny lobsters that were seized by the Fish and Wildlife game wardens. The court ordered Hoang to stay at least 100 yards away from the South La Jolla State Marine Reserve and prohibited him from taking marine resources from any state preserve for three years.

“CDFW wardens work to protect our environment and our fish and wildlife,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “We are grateful for the law enforcement work they perform throughout California, keep us and our natural resources safe from harm.”