Indiana man pleads guilty to importing fish into Plainfield lake

A man from Indiana pleaded guilty to importing more than 2,600 pounds of live channel catfish into a Plainfield lake last year.

On Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced Michael Sullivan, of Griffith Indiana, entered into a negotiated plea deal in October to importing live fish without a permit.

Sullivan received two years of court supervision. He was ordered to pay $227 in fines and court fees, perform 30 hours of community service and pay $10,500 as restitution to the IDNR Conservation Police Operations Assistance Fund.

The case was investigated by the Illinois Conservation Police Invasive Species Unit.

Investigators determined Sullivan imported the fish into a Plainfield lake during three separate occasions in 2021, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

The fish were purchased in Mississippi and Alabama.

IDNR staff reviews and provides free importation permits to importers with tested and disease-free fish.

Channel castfish are one species that is susceptible to viral hemorrhagic septicemia, which can decimate fish populations, IDNR officials said.

In a statement, Conservation Police Officer Brandon Fehrenbacher said the importing and stocking untested fish “significantly increases the risks to our resources and undercuts others within the industry abiding by the law.”

Sullivan was prosecuted by the offices of Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

Raoul said in a statement that he appreciated the partnership of the IDNR and Glasgow’s office to “hold this individual accountable for illegally importing live fish and jeopardizing our environment.”

“Our state’s ecosystems and natural resources are delicate and should be preserved for years to come,” Raoul said.