Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton represents Florida fishermen in a class action alleging a statewide seafood price-fixing conspiracy affecting stone crab and spiny lobster dockside prices.
Case Information
Paradise Tails Inc. v. D&D Seafood Corp., et al.
Filed: October 2025, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
Claims: Price-Fixing, Antitrust Violations, Unjust Enrichment
Class Period: June 2017 – April 2025
Florida Fishermen Antitrust Lawsuit
We have filed a major antitrust class action lawsuit on behalf of Florida commercial fishermen against some of the state’s largest seafood wholesalers. The lawsuit alleges that D&D Seafood Corporation, Keys Fisheries, Inc., and their executives orchestrated a long-running price-fixing conspiracy to unlawfully suppress the dockside prices paid to fishermen for two of Florida’s most valuable seafood products: stone crab claws and spiny lobsters. By secretly coordinating the prices they paid for fishermen’s catch, the defendants allegedly enriched themselves at the expense of hardworking boat owners, captains, and crews, threatening the livelihoods of Florida’s fishing families and the economic health of coastal communities throughout the Keys and Gulf Coast.
The lawsuit seeks to hold these companies accountable and recover treble damages for the fishermen who were underpaid as a result of the alleged cartel.
The Alleged Price-Fixing Conspiracy
The lawsuit describes a deliberate scheme to eliminate competition and control what fishermen were paid. According to the allegations, the defendants and their co-conspirators — major seafood buyers often known as “fish houses” — met before the start of each fishing season to agree on the initial prices they would offer for lobster and crab. Throughout the season, they allegedly kept in close contact, using text messages, phone calls, and in-person meetings to adjust prices together and ensure no one broke ranks.
In one text exchange cited in the complaint, a competitor allegedly told a defendant:
“We’re working together now, not against each other.”
The defendant replied:
“I am matching your prices.”
This coordination allegedly allowed them to lock in uniform, suppressed prices statewide, depriving fishermen of fair competition and fair pay.
How the Scheme Was Enforced
The conspiracy was allegedly backed by aggressive tactics meant to keep fishermen in line and competitors out:
- Blacklisting Fishermen: Fishermen who sought higher prices were allegedly placed on a “blacklist,” with conspirators directed not to buy from them.
- Eliminating Competition: Fish houses that offered better prices were allegedly “black-balled” — boycotted by other buyers, targeted with frivolous law enforcement complaints, and driven out of business.
These actions allegedly preserved the cartel’s control over the market while fuel, bait, and trap costs continued to rise for fishermen.
Federal Guilty Plea Confirms the Scheme
In September 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Dennis “Snake” Dopico, Vice President of D&D Seafood, pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal price-fixing conspiracy in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act (link). That prosecution publicly confirmed what Florida fishermen had long suspected: “The prices at the dock weren’t falling because of the ocean — they were fixed on land.”
Who Is Affected
You may have a claim if you are a commercial fisherman, boat owner, or fishing business that sold stone crab claws or spiny lobsters in Florida between June 2017 and April 2025 — even if you did not sell directly to the companies named in the lawsuit. The class action seeks to represent all fishermen whose dockside prices were affected by the alleged statewide price-fixing conspiracy. Because the scheme operated through a network of fish houses and distributors, you may have been impacted even if you sold to another buyer. The complaint currently identifies the following primary defendants:
- D&D Seafood Corporation
- Keys Fisheries, Inc.
- Dennis Dopico (a/k/a “Snake”)
- Gary Graves
It also names several known co-conspirators, including: Billy’s Stone Crabs, Inc.; Ernest Hamilton Stone Crabs Corp.; Golden Dragon Seafood Inc.; and Key Largo Fisheries, Inc., among others. However, the investigation is ongoing, and additional companies and individuals may be involved. If you sold your catch anywhere in Florida during this period, you may still have a claim or valuable information.
How We Can Help
Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton is committed to standing up for Florida’s fishermen — the hardworking men and women who make their living on the water and keep our state’s seafood industry thriving. We are leading this antitrust class action to recover the money fishermen were denied and to ensure that future seasons are governed by open, competitive pricing — not collusion. Our goal is simple: fair pay for honest work. If you sold stone crab claws or spiny lobsters between June 2017 and April 2025, or if you have information, documents, or firsthand experience about how dockside prices were set, we encourage you to reach out. You do not need to have sold directly to D&D Seafood, Keys Fisheries, or any company named in the complaint. Because the alleged conspiracy influenced pricing across Florida, your experience matters regardless of where you sold. All inquiries are confidential. Your information could help strengthen the case and support fishermen statewide.
Please fill out the confidential contact form below to share your experience or learn more about your rights.
