Overview
- Connor Seifert, 27, was arrested in June 2026 and arraigned on nine misdemeanor unlawful-fishing counts and one gross misdemeanor for allegedly lying to an officer; he pleaded not guilty and is due back in court next month.
- Investigators used months of surveillance and social-media posts to build the case and have released bodycam footage and the suspect’s photos and videos as evidence.
- Authorities say Seifert’s posts show him mishandling bluntnose sixgill and broadnose sevengill sharks by dragging them partially out of the water and posing with them.
- WDFW lists both species as 'Species of Greatest Conservation Need' and warns that pulling pregnant females from nursery waters can exhaust them, cause pup deaths, and reduce local returns.
- Each misdemeanor charge carries up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail and the gross misdemeanor carries up to a $5,000 fine and one year in jail, and the case could shape future enforcement of online-targeting of protected wildlife.