Three Fishermen Admit to Sinking Boats | Anchorage News

0:00So, we've got three commercial fishermen out in Southeast Alaska who are now admitting to sinking their own boats. John Fisher, Joseph Polling, and Tony VanVeen all facing charges from the U.S. Attorney's office. Even though their cases have similar themes, they're not connected. Fisher, he copped to sinking his boat, the Igloo, back in March of 2025 near Sitka. He actually told the Coast Guard he did it. He's looking at one month in the slammer and a year of supervised release. This whole situation highlights a bigger issue in Alaska with abandoned boats. Keeping up with maintenance is costly and getting rid of a boat that's seen better days ain't cheap either. The state's got a list of over 400 derelict vessels just sitting around. Meanwhile, Joseph Polling pleaded guilty earlier this month. He's accused of sinking the leeward in Thomas Bay. The feds are pushing for a $6,000 fine and five years of probation for him. And Tony VanVeen also entered a guilty plea on July 27th.

1:01He's facing a recommendation of 30 days in jail and a year of supervised release for sinking his vessel, the Okasuch, sometime in late September. Or early October of 2025. I'm Cory with the story. That's your Anchorage News today update. AI powered and always on.