Joseph Vaudo pleaded has not guilty to destroying up to USD 12,000 (EUR 10,000) worth of lobsters owned by his former company, Superior Lobster and Seafood, based in Sandwich, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Vaudo was charged with vandalizing property at one of Superior’s two locations after allegedly being captured on video on 24 June turning off the compressor and oxygen supply to the company's live seafood tank after disposing of trash in the company’s commercial dumpster, NBC Boston reported.
Vaudo pleaded not guilty at the arraignment, and the judge set his bail at USD 1,000 (EUR 843). The judge also ordered that he stay away from Superior Lobster and Seafood and its staff, according to the Cape Cod Times. Vaudo’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for 25 August.
The store's manager eventually noticed the power boxes located in the back of the building were turned off, according to the arrest report, and that the live seafood tank did not have any oxygen flow or water circulation. As a result, the lobsters were “stressed beyond normal,” according to the manager. The business owner transported the lobsters to a processing facility.
