Mary Mahoney’s Old French House, a prominent Biloxi restaurant, and its co-owner and manager, Anthony Charles Cvitanovich, were sentenced on November 18, 2024, for their roles in a long-running conspiracy to misbrand seafood. The scheme involved substituting cheaper imported fish for the premium local species advertised on the restaurant’s menu.
Under a plea agreement, Mary Mahoney’s was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay a $1,499,000 penalty, which includes a $149,000 criminal fine and $1,350,000 in forfeiture. As part of its supervision, the restaurant must maintain detailed records of its seafood sources and make them available to regulatory authorities and customers. The company pleaded guilty to felony charges of conspiracy to misbrand seafood and wire fraud in May 2024.
Between December 2013 and November 2019, Mary Mahoney’s and its co-conspirators sold over 58,750 pounds of imported frozen fish—originating from Africa, India, and South America—while falsely marketing it as locally caught premium seafood. The fraudulent activity spanned nearly two decades, beginning as early as 2002.
55-year-old Anthony Charles Cvitanovich was sentenced to three years of probation, including four months of home detention, and fined $10,000. He pleaded guilty to misbranding seafood during 2018 and 2019.
“Misbranding foreign seafood as premium, locally caught fish defrauds customers and harms the Gulf Coast seafood industry,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee. “Today’s sentence sends a strong message that businesses engaging in such practices will be held accountable.”
The investigation was led by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea C. Jones and Senior Trial Attorney Jeremy F. Korzenik prosecuted the case.
In related charges, Biloxi seafood wholesaler Quality Poultry and Seafood and two of its managers are scheduled for sentencing on December 11, 2024.
