Two Men Charged with Stealing 8,300 Pounds of Scallops

New Bedford Police detectives have charged two former employees of Continental Cold Storage at 65 Conway St. in New Bedford with stealing more than 8,300 pounds of frozen scallops and selling them to other seafood companies in the area.

Michael Caton, 30, of 17923 Applegate Road, Applegate, California, and Antonio E. Vieira, 44, of 74 Morning Dove Drive, Tiverton, R.I., face charges of larceny from a building, uttering a false document, forgery of a document and conspiracy.

A warrant was issued for Vieira, who was arraigned at New Bedford District Court. A warrant has been issued for Caton’s arrest.

Both men have been terminated from Continental Cold Storage.

The scallops were reported missing Feb. 6. At that time, Continental Cold Storage reported that four pallets worth of scallops could not be located.

That triggered an investigation by the New Bedford Detectives unit that concluded March 10.

The two men sold the scallops to a third party, who was unaware they were stolen. The third party then sold them to another individual, who sold them to a seafood company in the city.

The companies were not aware the scallops were stolen.

The value of the stolen scallops is estimated at $150,000. The scallops were sold for $83,500.

The investigation remains open and further charges may be filed. The Massachusetts Environmental Police assisted with the investigation.

--New Bedford Police