MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – An Antioch man this week was sentenced to six months in county jail, fined $15,000 and banned for fishing from life after he admitted in Mendocino County Superior Court to a felony charge of participating in a conspiracy to take abalone for commercial sale.

Michael J. Trevors, 28, in addition was placed on three years probation by Superior Court Judge Clay Brennan.

Trevors also entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge related to the case during his court appearance on Monday, Aug. 29, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.

Trevors' sentencing followed that of co-defendant, Qiong Wang, who earlier this year entered a no contest plea to the same two charges.

Wang was sentenced on April 18 to the same terms as Trevors, with the exception that Wang was ordered to serve a full 365 days – known as a “bullet” – in the Mendocino County jail, the District Attorney's Office reported.

Prosecutor Tim Stoen said that in February of this year Trevors drove Wang from the Bay Area to Van Damme State Park on the Mendocino Coast.

Trevors then helped unload dive equipment, changed into dive gear, and maneuvered a kayak for Wang to dive from. With Trevors assisting from atop the water, Wang then poached 55 abalone on that day. The legal limit is three per day.

Trevors after his arrest contended that Wang asked him for a ride and that Wang had misled Trevors as to what could happen if they got caught. Trevors also attempted to downplay his involvement by arguing that he himself had not personally taken from the water any of the abalone.

Stoen said while Trevors was indeed less culpable that Wang, he was nevertheless guilty of aiding and abetting the crimes.

The case was initially investigated by the Special Operations Unit of the state Department of Fish and Game, Department investigators were aware of a prior offense by Wang and started surveillance on Wang's Bay Area residence. Wardens tracked the two suspects on the day they drove to Van Damme State Park, and witnessed the illegal poaching.

Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster said fish and game wardens did “a terrific job investigating this case and in bringing both Wang and Trevors to justice. I appreciate the long hours and hard work of all the wardens, as well as the continuing diligence of Deputy DA Stoen to protect our local natural resources.”

Trevors is to surrender to serve his jail time on Oct.11. Wang is currently serving his jail time in the Mendocino County Jail.

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