'The Codfather' Indicted

NEW BEDFORD, MA — Seafood mogul Carlos Rafael, also known as "The Codfather," was indicted Monday on charges he smuggled cash and violated federal fishing regulations.

Rafael runs New Bedford-based Carlos Seafood and operates a fleet of over 30 boats. It's one of the largest commercial fishing operations in the country, investigators said.

Authorities said Rafael worked with Antonio Freitas, a Taunton resident and former deputy with the Bristol County Sheriff's Department. Fretias allegedly helped Rafael smuggle cash through Logan Airport.

Rafael ran a "long-running scheme involving submitting falsified records to the federal government to evade federal fishing quotas and then smuggling the profits to Portugal," said U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz in a statement.

Perhaps cementing Rafael's nickname, the investigation included undercover agents posing as organized crime figures interested in buying Rafael's company.

Rafael underreported over 815,000 pounds of fish, according to the indictment. He then sold the fish to a New York wholesaler for cash, earning $668,000 on recent occasions.

Rafael then used Freitas to funnel the profits to a bank in Portugal, Ortiz said. Freitas gained access to Logan when he was assigned there to assist in investigations and smuggled $17,500 by flying to Portugal according to the indictment.

Rafael was charged with smuggling, conspiracy, and 25 counts of falsifying records. Freitas was also charged with smuggling.

Subscribe to Patch news alerts

Read "The Codfather" indictment: