‘The Codfather’ pleads guilty

A U.S. fishing magnate known as “The Codfather” pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to charges of evading fishing quotas and smuggling money to Portugal.

Carlos Rafael, the owner of one of the nation's largest commercial fishing operations, changed his plea to guilty yesterday.

Federal authorities say Rafael falsely claimed his vessels caught haddock or pollock, when they had actually caught other species subject to stricter quotas. He then sold the fish for cash. Sentencing is scheduled for June 27.