MIAMI, Florida (7 July 2008) — A man who pleaded guilty to sending a threatening e-mail against a Children's Pool seal activist learned his fate Monday. Kent Douglas Trego, 54, was ordered to undergo a year of anger-management counseling and to stay away from the La Jolla beach where harbor seals gather. Trego had been held without bail for 4.5 months, since his arrest. A federal judge ordered him to serve five years of supervised probation and 180 days on GPS-monitored house arrest. He is also prohibited from using a computer unless it is monitored. In April, Trego pleaded guilty to threatening to retaliate against a federal witness, according to United States Attorney Karen P. Hewitt. According to prosecutors, the incident began when Trego was with two scuba divers on Sept. 22, 2007, when they were allegedly videotaped walking between two groups of harbor seals at the beach. Officials said the tape shows about 18 of 50 seals entering the water as they were "flushed" from the beach. A volunteer from the Animal Protection and Rescue League took down the license plate number of the vehicle the divers had arrived in and reported it to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hot line, authorities said. Federal agents subsequently investigated the incident and charged both divers with violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act. One diver was served with notice on New Year's Eve. The other received notice on Jan. 11. The following day, "the APRL received an electronic mail from a 'Biker Bobbie' using the electronic mail account 'deathtosealwatch@yahoo.com,' " according to court papers. Prosecutors said Trego admitted that he typed up a threatening letter, with "Revenge on (witness)" as the subject line. The e-mail said, "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." | | Kent Trego was sentenced to time served, six months of house arrest, and five years of probation for threatening a seal conservationist who alerted authorities to violations of the Marine Mammals Act by two scuba divers. The e-mail was reported to federal authorities. Trego faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. |
