Biloxi seafood distributor pleads guilty in fish misbranding scheme

Quality Poultry and Seafood pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring with others to purposefully mislabel seafood.

Quality Poultry and Seafood, the largest seafood wholesaler on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, admitted to the Department of Justice they had been participating in a fish substitution scheme from as early as 2002 all the way up until November of 2019. QPS is accused of selling its restaurant customers foreign-sourced fish that could pass as for local species that restaurants advertised on their menus. They also labeled cheap imports at their own retail shop and cafe as premium local fish.

QPS supplied seafood to several restaurants and retailers, including Mary Mahoney’s in Biloxi. In May, Mary Mahoney’s pleaded guilty to knowingly selling over 58,750 pounds of fish that was not the species advertised on its menu between December of 2013 and November 2019.

Quality Poultry and Seafood has agreed to pay the United States $1 million in forfeitures as well as a $150,000 criminal fee.

We will keep you updated with any further developments on the case.