In Biloxi, Mississippi, Mary Mahoney’s Old French House has been found guilty of misbranding the species of seafood on its menu, according to the Justice Department. The restaurant sold imported frozen fish as locally caught, totaling over 58,775 pounds between 2013 and 2019. The misbranding scheme involved advertising fish from Africa and India as local snapper and grouper from the Gulf of Mexico.
The Food and Drug Administration conducted genetic testing on the fish to confirm the misbranding scheme. FDA agents searched the restaurant in 2019. As part of a plea deal, Mary Mahoney’s Old French House will have to pay $1.35 million. The co-owner and manager, Anthony Cvitanovich, also pleaded guilty to one count of misbranding seafood. The misbranding mostly occurred in two casserole dishes where fish was not the primary ingredient, according to Cvitanovich’s lawyer.
Despite the mistake, Cvitanovich’s lawyer described his clients as good people who made a costly error. The sentencing for Mary Mahoney’s and Cvitanovich will take place on September 12. The restaurant faces a maximum fine of $500,000, while Cvitanovich faces up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
