The trial of Montauk fisherman Christopher Winkler kicked off in federal court last week with a portrayal of the storied fishing community as a land of haves and have nots where members of the Gosman family exert control over vast fishing interests and Winkler was motivated by “greed.”
Testimony in the trial at federal court in Central Islip has opened a window into the movements of fish from Montauk to the Bronx, and sometimes illegally to other states to avoid New York’s comparatively low quota for fluke and other species.
Testimony has also opened a window on the vast amount of netted fish that must be returned to the sea dead to stay within strict state limits that shift throughout the year.
Winkler, charged with mail and wire fraud and conspiracy counts, faces 20 years in prison if convicted of illegally overharvesting fluke and black sea bass on about 220 fishing trips between 2014 and 2016. He has pleaded not guilty. Newsday first reported on the case against Winkler and the Gosmans in 2021.
His former co-defendants, Asa and Bryan Gosman of Montauk reached plea agreements in 2022 and were portrayed in an opening statement by a defense attorney as cooperating witnesses in the government’s case against Winkler, the lone Montauk fishermen to face trial. The Gosmans are expected to testify in the trial in coming days. George Stamboulidis, a lawyer for the Gosmans, declined to comment.
The government alleges Winkler caught more than $850,000 worth of fluke and black sea bass during the three years covered in the indictment, and conspired with local fish dealers, including the Gosmans, to underreport his catch. Mailing and electronically sending false reports, the government alleges, amount to mail and wire fraud, in addition to the conspiracy and other charges against him.
Prosecutor Kenneth Nelson told jurors Winkler was motivated by greed.
“Instead of following the rules and limits for how much fish you can catch, he decided…
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