Pamela J. Kahut, the former Chief Financial Officer of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for theft related to a health benefit trust account managed by the agency. The sentencing took place in Portland, Oregon.
Kahut, 68, was also ordered to pay $211,083.27 in restitution to PSMFC and fined $10,000. According to court documents, she used her access as CFO to control the commission’s health benefit trust account. This account was established to pay benefits and other charges for employees covered under PSMFC’s self-funded health care program and received partial funding from federal grants.
Between October 2014 and September 2020, Kahut stole over $211,000 from the account. The stolen funds were used for her spouse’s long-term care premiums, pension loan repayments, and credit card bills.
On April 8, 2025, Kahut was charged with Theft in Connection with Health Care. She pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General; and U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Trisotto prosecuted the case.
