Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening
a Federal Witness
United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt
announced that Kent Douglas Trego pled guilty today
in federal court in San Diego to threatening a volunteer
of the Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL).
Mr. Trego pled guilty to Count One of the Indictment,
which charged him with threatening to retaliate against
a federal witness, in violation of Title 18, United
States Code, Section 1513(b)(2). Mr. Trego tendered
his guilty plea before United States Magistrate Judge
Louisa S. Porter, subject to final acceptance of the
plea by the Honorable Roger T. Benitez, United States
District Judge.
According to Assistant U. S. Attorney Mitch Dembin,
who is prosecuting the case, in connection with his
guilty plea, Mr. Trego admitted that on September 22,
2007, he accompanied two scuba divers onto the beach
at the La Jolla Children’s Pool. The scuba divers
proceeded into the water, causing approximately 18
of the approximately 50 harbor seals resting on the
beach to flush into the water. A volunteer of the APRL
videotaped these activities. After the divers entered
the water, the APRL volunteer recorded the license
plate number of the vehicle in which the divers arrived.
The volunteer and Mr. Trego exchanged words at that
time and the volunteer reported the entire transaction
to federal law enforcement agents of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
After an investigation,
the two divers were identified and ticketed for misdemeanor
violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Title
16, United States Code, Section 1362, et seq. The
tickets were issued on December 31, 2007, and January
11, 2008.
Mr. Trego admitted that the divers told him that
they had been ticketed. On January 12, 2008, using
a publicly-accessible
computer at the Riford Library in La Jolla, Mr. Trego
composed and sent a threatening electronic mail to
the APRL.The e-mail had the subject line “Revenge
on [witness]” and the text of the message, excluding
the name of the APRL volunteer, reads as follows:
Two divers who used the Children's Pool in September
have been cited by federal wildlife marshalls for disturbing
the seals.[Witness] was apparently the one who turned
them in.
The problem is now that revenge will be taken out
on [witness]. Many of the local divers have close friends
in the California motorcycle clubs. As is this case,
motorcycle club members have been contacted about [witness]
and [he/she] will be dealt with very harshly, if [he/she]
is not killed.
They know that if [he/she] is not in San Diego, [he/she]
may be found in San Francisco. Either San Diego or
Oakland hit hogs will be involved in [his/her] punishment.
[He/She] has brought this on [himself/herself].
This communication was received by the APRL, which
reported the threat to federal authorities. Mr. Trego
admitted that his intent in transmitting the threat
was to retaliate against the APRL volunteer for providing
information to federal authorities resulting in the
tickets issued to the divers. Mr. Trego was indicted
by a federal grand jury in San Diego on March 4, 2008
and arrested March 7, 2008.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University
of California at San Diego (UCSD) Police Department,
and the Violent Crime and Cybercrime Squads of the
San Diego Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Mr. Trego is scheduled to appear next in court before
United States District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez
for acceptance of the plea on April 28, 2008 and for
sentencing on July 7, 2008.
DEFENDANT Case No.
08cr0618-BEN
Kent Douglas Trego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1513(b)(2) -
Threatening a Federal Witness
Maximum Penalties:
10 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
University
of California (San Diego) Police Department
