State Of Washington v. Larrin J. Breitsprecher ( 2019 )


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  •                                                                                                 Filed
    Washington State
    Court of Appeals
    Division Two
    November 13, 2019
    IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
    DIVISION II
    STATE OF WASHINGTON,                                              No. 51346-3-II
    Respondent,
    v.
    LARRIN JOSEPH BREITSPRECHER,                               UNPUBLISHED OPINION
    Appellant.
    SUTTON, J. — Larrin J. Breitsprecher appeals his convictions for third degree possession
    of stolen property, commercial fishing using unlawful fishing gear, and first degree unlawful
    interference with fishing gear. Breitsprecher argues that (1) there is insufficient evidence to
    support these convictions, (2) the trial court erred by failing to give an accomplice liability
    instruction for the commercial fishing using unlawful fishing gear and the first degree unlawful
    interference with fishing gear charges, and (3) the trial court erred by denying his motion to dismiss
    and motion to arrest judgment. We affirm.
    FACTS
    I. BACKGROUND
    The State of Washington through the Department of Fish and Wildlife regulates the
    commercial crabbing industry in Washington.1 RCW 77.04.012. A commercial crabber must
    label their crab pots and buoys to identify the owner. RCW 77.15.520. When the commercial
    1
    Title 77 RCW—Fish and Wildlife Code of the State of Washington.
    No. 51346-3-II
    crabbing season is closed, Fish and Wildlife issues permits to retrieve derelict crabbing gear from
    the ocean. RCW 77.70.500. The person with the permit making the recovery can possess and
    own a recovered crab pot. RCW 77.70.500(4)(b).
    Breitsprecher was the captain, owner, and operator of a commercial fishing vessel, the
    Shearwater II, which he operated offshore of Westport, Washington. Kory Kerzman, a former
    crewmember of the Shearwater II, met with Fish and Wildlife agents and told them that
    Breitsprecher taught him how to steal other people’s commercial crab pots and ordered him to
    steal a number of commercial crab pots during the 2016 commercial crabbing season.
    Breitsprecher stored his pots and gear at the Westport gear yard at the Port of Grays Harbor.
    After an investigation, Fish and Wildlife agents obtained and executed a search warrant for the
    Shearwater II and Breitsprecher’s gear pile at the Westport gear yard. The search warrant
    authorized Fish and Wildlife agents to search for and seize from the Shearwater II and
    Breitsprecher’s gear pile any stolen crab pots, along with the vessel’s global positioning system
    (GPS), chart plotter, and a red grinder that was used to grind off identification markings on crab
    pots. Kerzman helped Fish and Wildlife agents by identifying which pots, pot tags, and buoys in
    Breitsprecher’s gear pile were stolen. Pursuant to the warrant, Fish and Wildlife agents seized 32
    crab pots from Breitsprecher’s gear pile identified by Kerzman as having been stolen during the
    2016 commercial crab season. Agents also seized the GPS, chart plotter, and red grinder from the
    Shearwater II.
    2
    No. 51346-3-II
    II. CHARGES AND TRIAL
    The State charged Breitsprecher with second degree theft, second degree possession of
    stolen property, commercial fishing using unlawful gear, and first degree unlawful interference
    with fishing gear.
    At trial, the primary factual disputes were whether Kerzman had, at Breitsprecher’s
    direction, pulled commercial crab pots and buoys aboard the Shearwater II that belonged to other
    commercial fishermen, and whether those pots and buoys remained part of Breitsprecher’s
    commercial fishing gear. The primary legal issues were whether the crab pots without an
    identifying buoy in the ocean were abandoned property, and whether the original owner still had
    a possessory interest in those pots.
    Kerzman testified that when he worked for Breitsprecher, he was instructed to pull up
    commercial crab pots that belonged to other commercial fisherpersons who owned and operated
    crab boats offshore of Westport during the 2016 commercial crab season. Kerzman testified that
    during the 2016 commercial crab season, he pulled anywhere from two to twenty crab pots that
    did not belong to Breitsprecher each time they took the Shearwater II out. Kerzman testified that
    he was instructed to pull up buoys attached to the pots that were different colors than the orange
    and red buoys Breitsprecher owned. Sometimes the crew pulled up additional pots in a single pull
    because the lines were tangled in a “wrap-around.”2 Verbatim Report of Proceedings (VRP) (Oct.
    2
    A “wrap-around” occurs when the line attached to one crab pot that is sitting in the water gets
    tangled with another line attached to a different crab pot that is also sitting in the water. Verbatim
    Report of Proceedings (Oct. 17, 2017) at 55-56. A “wrap-around” becomes problematic when one
    pulls up their own crab pot and, in doing so, also pulls up someone else’s crab pot due to the
    tangled lines.
    3
    No. 51346-3-II
    18, 2017) at 220. Kerzman and the other crew members knew when to pull pots that did not belong
    to Breitsprecher because Breitsprecher would, “rev [the boat’s] motor” as a sign to grab the buoy
    and pull the attached pot. VRP (Oct. 18, 2017) at 291.
    After a crab pot that did not belong to Breitsprecher was brought on board, Kerzman
    inspected the crab pot to determine, “How easy it would be to make it ours.” VRP (Oct. 18, 2017)
    at 224. If Kerzman determined that the pot was worth keeping, he would then manipulate the pot
    to make it look like Breitsprecher’s other pots. Kerzman and other crew members would strip the
    pot and buoy to make it look like Breitsprecher’s property by removing the buoy tags, changing
    the lines and bait containers, and at times, using a red grinder to grind down the weight bars on the
    pots to remove the name of the proper crab pot owner. Sometimes, Kerzman would put the buoys
    into the pots and sink the whole bundle. Kerzman further testified that Breitsprecher taught him
    these practices and that Breitsprecher knew what he [Kerzman] was doing.
    Kenneth Rausch, the operations manager for the Port of Grays Harbor at Westport, and
    Cole Miller, one of Breitsprecher’s former employees, testified as to the layout and accessibility
    of the stacks of crab pots at the Westport gear yard and that the stacks of crab pots searched by
    Fish and Wildlife agents belonged to Breitsprecher. Rausch testified that the gear yard was fenced,
    but accessible at all hours. He also testified that either fish processing companies or individual
    fishermen, including Breitsprecher, rented space to store crabbing gear.
    The State sought to admit at trial five of the thirty-two pots seized by Fish and Wildlife
    agents. The trial court admitted all five crab pots and they bore either Shearwater II pot tags or
    buoys. Christine Winn, owner of the fishing vessel Qualaysquallum, described how commercial
    fisherpersons recognize their fishing gear, even without crab pot tags and buoys, by using unique
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    No. 51346-3-II
    identifiers that are personal to the owner. Winn identified one of the five pots as hers because she
    had a “Q” welded on the pot’s weight bars. VRP (Oct. 18, 2017) at 318.
    Pete Wilson, owner of the fishing vessel Johnny B, testified that he was able to recognize
    his crab pots without identifying tags or buoys:
    [W]hen you have so many of these and this is what you’ve done and you put them
    all together the exact same way, you know when they’re yours. It’s like you just
    know. I mean I have a white Ford F-350, but if there were five of them in the
    parking lot I would know which one is mine.
    VRP (Oct. 18, 2017) at 345. He also identified one of the five crab pots as his and noted that the
    weight bar had a section that had been “ground smooth and it’s not wearing the same as the rest of
    this weight bar, because my initials have been ground off.” VRP (Oct. 18, 2017) at 349-50.
    Matthew Winsberg, owner of three commercial crabbing vessels, testified that he
    immediately identified six crab pots in the Fish and Wildlife evidence yard as his. At trial,
    Winsberg identified two of the five crab pots as his. He further noted that both pots had
    Breitsprecher’s Shearwater II buoy attached.
    Rex Rhoades, owner of the fishing vessel Lady Michelle, testified that he identified four
    crab pots at the Fish and Wildlife evidence yard as his. At trial, he identified one of the five crab
    pots as his. Rhoades testified that his pot bore the pot tag of the Shearwater II.
    Breitsprecher filed a motion to dismiss arguing there was insufficient evidence to show
    that the crab pots were taken because they could be considered abandoned. The trial court denied
    this motion.
    The trial court then instructed the jury as follows. To prove third degree possession of
    stolen property, the State had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Breitsprecher knowingly
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    No. 51346-3-II
    received, retained, possessed, concealed, or disposed of stolen property; Breitsprecher acted with
    knowledge that the property had been stolen; Breitsprecher withheld or appropriated the property
    to the use of someone other than the true owner or person entitled thereto; and these acts occurred
    in Washington. The trial court’s instruction on constructive possession and dominion and control
    stated:
    Possession means having the property in one’s custody or control. It may
    be either actual or constructive. Actual possession occurs when the item is in the
    actual physical custody of the person charged with possession. Constructive
    possession occurs when there is no actual physical possession but there is dominion
    and control over the property.
    Proximity alone without proof of dominion and control is insufficient to
    establish constructive possession. Dominion and control need not be exclusive to
    support a finding of constructive possession.
    In deciding whether [Breitsprecher] had dominion and control over the
    property, you are to consider all the relevant circumstances in the case. Factors that
    you may consider, among others, include whether [Breitsprecher] had the
    immediate ability to take actual possession of the property, whether the defendant
    had the capacity to exclude others from possession of the property, and whether
    [Breitsprecher] had dominion and control over the premises where the property was
    located. No single one of these factors necessarily controls your decision.
    Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 52.
    The court also instructed the jury that a person’s use, control, or operation of any crab pot
    bearing a tag identifying the pot as belonging to another person was illegal subject to certain
    exemptions. CP at 52.
    To prove the charge of commercial fishing using unlawful fishing gear, the State had to
    prove beyond a reasonable doubt that (1) Breitsprecher acted for commercial purposes, (2)
    Breitsprecher took or fished for any fish or shellfish using any gear in violation of a rule of the
    Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission specifying, regulating, or limiting the gear for
    6
    No. 51346-3-II
    taking, fishing, or harvesting of such fish or shellfish, and (3) the acts occurred in Washington.
    The trial court instructed the jury that
    [a] person “acts for commercial purposes” if the person engages in conduct
    that relates to commerce in fish, seaweed, shellfish, or wildlife or any parts thereof.
    Commercial conduct may include taking, delivering, selling, buying, or trading
    fish, seaweed, shellfish, or wildlife where there is present or future exchange of
    money, goods, or any valuable consideration.
    CP at 53.
    To prove first degree unlawful interference with fishing gear, the State had to prove beyond
    a reasonable doubt that Breitsprecher removed or released fish or shellfish from commercial
    fishing gear without the owner’s permission, or he intentionally destroyed or interfered with
    commercial fishing gear. The trial court also instructed the jury that
    [a]t the time of the alleged offense, the [Washington State Fish and Wildlife]
    Commission had enacted a rule prohibiting any person from the use, control, or
    operation of any crab pot bearing a tag identifying the pot as belonging to another
    person, except: (a) An alternate operator designated on a primary license may
    possess and operate crab buoys and crab pots bearing the tags of the license holder,
    (b) Persons operating under a valid coastal gear recovery permit issued by [Fish
    and Wildlife] may possess crab pots or buoys bearing the tags of another license
    holder, provided the permittee adheres to provisions of the permit, (c) Persons
    operating under a valid coastal gear transport permit issued by [Fish and Wildlife]
    may possess crab pots or buoys bearing the tags issued by another state, provided
    the permittee adheres to provisions of the permit.
    CP at 52.
    The jury convicted Breitsprecher of third degree possession of stolen property, commercial
    fishing using unlawful gear, and first degree unlawful interference with fishing gear. CP at 98.
    The jury acquitted Breitsprecher of second degree theft.
    Following the jury verdict, Breitsprecher filed a motion to arrest judgment based on
    insufficient evidence and the trial court’s failure to give an accomplice liability instruction for the
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    No. 51346-3-II
    commercial fishing using unlawful gear and unlawful interference charges. Breitsprecher never
    requested an accomplice liability jury instruction. The trial court denied the motion, entered
    judgment, and sentenced Breitsprecher. Breitsprecher appeals.
    ANALYSIS
    Breitsprecher argues that there was insufficient evidence to support the convictions, the
    trial court erred by failing to give an accomplice liability instruction for the unlawful fishing gear
    and unlawful interference charges, and the court erred by denying his motion to dismiss and motion
    to arrest judgment. We reject Breitsprecher’s arguments.
    I. SUFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE
    In a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, the inquiry is whether a “‘rational trier of
    fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.’” State v.
    Green, 
    94 Wash. 2d 216
    , 221, 
    616 P.2d 628
    (1980) (italics omitted) (quoting Jackson v. Virginia,
    
    443 U.S. 307
    , 319, 
    99 S. Ct. 2781
    , 
    61 L. Ed. 2d 560
    (1979). The elements of the crime may be
    established by either direct or circumstantial evidence. State v. Thompson, 
    88 Wash. 2d 13
    , 16, 
    558 P.2d 202
    (1977). “In challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, the appellant admits the truth of
    the State’s evidence and all inferences that can reasonably be drawn from it,” giving equal weight
    to circumstantial and direct evidence. State v. Hermann, 
    138 Wash. App. 596
    , 602, 
    158 P.3d 96
    (2007). “The State bears the burden of proving all the elements of the crime charged beyond a
    reasonable doubt.” 
    Hermann, 138 Wash. App. at 602
    . “[W]e must defer to the trier of fact on issues
    of conflicting testimony, credibility of witnesses, and the persuasiveness of the evidence.” State
    v. Killingsworth, 
    166 Wash. App. 283
    , 287, 
    269 P.3d 1064
    (2012).
    8
    No. 51346-3-II
    Because the trial court denied the motion to arrest judgment after the jury verdict, we utilize
    the same standard of review for both motions.
    A. ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY
    Breitsprecher argues that insufficient evidence exists to prove that he had actual or
    constructive possession of the stolen crab pots. He argues that the State relied on the seizure of
    Breitsprecher’s stack of pots at the Westport gear yard to allege that these pots were stolen, but
    claims that he did not personally stack the pots there, nor did he have exclusive access to the gear
    yard. Breitsprecher further argues that mere proximity of the stolen crab pots to his stack of pots
    found in the gear yard does not establish that he had actual or constructive dominion and control
    over the stolen pots, nor could he immediately and actually possess the pots even if they were
    found in his stack of pots. We disagree.
    The jury heard testimony and considered exhibits from four different commercial
    fisherpersons who identified as their own, five of the crab pots that the Fish and Wildlife agents
    seized from Breitsprecher’s stack of pots located at the Westport gear yard. All five crab pots
    seized and admitted at trial bore either Shearwater II pot tags or buoys.
    Because the crab gear was heavy to store, Breitsprecher’s gear was loaded by a fish
    processing company in a place designated just for him and his gear was labeled by buoys. The
    evidence demonstrated that Breitsprecher had possession of the area in the gear yard where the
    stolen crab pots were found by the Fish and Wildlife agents. The jury also heard and considered
    testimony by Kerzman that Breitsprecher instructed him when to remove crab pots from the water
    that belonged to other fishermen and how to modify the pots and buoys to make them appear to
    belong to Breitsprecher.
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    No. 51346-3-II
    Viewing the evidence and all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the State,
    a rational trier of fact could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that the State proved that
    Breitsprecher had actual or constructive possession of stolen property.
    B. PROPERTY OF ANOTHER
    Breitsprecher next argues that insufficient evidence existed to prove that the crab pots were
    the property of another. He claims that (1) the only evidence relied on by the State was Kerzman’s
    testimony, (2) the State failed to introduce any evidence that Breitsprecher fished using unlawful
    gear or that he interfered with fishing gear, and (3) none of the State’s witnesses confirmed that
    their crab pots had actually been stolen. We disagree.
    Kerzman testified that Breitsprecher acted for commercial purposes as the captain, owner,
    and operator of the Shearwater II, Breitsprecher fished for commercial crab using gear in violation
    of Fish and Wildlife’s statutes and regulations governing commercial crabbing, and Breitsprecher
    regularly directed him to pull crab pots that belonged to other commercial crab fishermen.
    Breitsprecher directed him to steal crab pots at sea, sort the contents, keep the harvestable crab,
    retain the stolen crab pots after modifying their appearance to make them appear to belong to
    Breitsprecher, and then return to Westport with the crab and the stolen crab pots.
    Additional evidence showed that the stolen pots were found in Breitsprecher’s gear pile at
    the Westport gear yard. Each commercial fisherperson identified his or her crab pots by their
    distinctive markings on the pots and testified that they did not sell, give, or otherwise permit
    Breitsprecher to possess or use their crab pots for commercial purposes. Further, Wilson and Winn
    specifically stated that they believed their crab pots had been stolen.
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    No. 51346-3-II
    Viewing the evidence and all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the State,
    a rational trier of fact could find beyond a reasonable doubt that the State proved that the crab pots
    were the property of another.
    C. CRAB POTS WERE NOT ABANDONED
    Breitsprecher next argues that the State presented insufficient evidence that the crab pots
    were not abandoned, and that the common law doctrine of finds applies. He claims that the crab
    pots he pulled onto his vessel were abandoned and were legally recovered by him during the crab
    season and that none of the State’s witnesses identified the pots as being stolen rather than being
    lost at sea, being derelict gear, or being abandoned. Breitsprecher claims that the common law
    doctrine of finds applies in this case and that the salvage or recovery of property lost on navigable
    waters is governed by maritime law within the admiralty jurisdiction of the federal courts.
    The State argues that (1) it presented sufficient evidence, (2) it had jurisdiction to charge
    Breitsprecher with possessing, using, and interfering with commercial fishing gear, (3) the trial
    court properly instructed the jury on the charges, and (4) Breitsprecher’s claim that the common
    law doctrine of finds applies, fails. We agree with State.
    The trial court properly instructed the jury to consider whether the crab pots were
    abandoned property under relevant law. However, the jury did not determine that the crab pots
    were abandoned property as Breitsprecher has asserted. We do not review the credibility of
    witnesses. 
    Killingsworth, 166 Wash. App. at 287
    . As discussed above, there was a wealth of
    evidence in the record from which a rational trier of fact could find beyond a reasonable doubt that
    Breitsprecher had taken the property of another and that the crab pots were not abandoned property
    that he could lawfully keep.
    11
    No. 51346-3-II
    “The law of finds is a common law principle granting title to the first party to discover and
    reduce to possession unknown or abandoned artifacts found in the sea.” In re Pers. Restraint of
    Tortorelli, 
    149 Wash. 2d 82
    , 92-93, 
    66 P.3d 606
    (2003) (citing Commonwealth v. Mar. Underwater
    Surveys, Inc., 
    403 Mass. 501
    , 
    531 N.E.2d 549
    (1988)).
    Breitsprecher fails to explain how the common law doctrine of finds applies here to trump
    the relevant state statutes and regulations governing commercial fishing in Washington.
    Additionally, the trial court did not instruct the jury on the law of finds, nor did Breitsprecher offer
    such an instruction. Because the trial court properly instructed the jury, Breitsprecher’s claim that
    the law of finds applies, fails.
    D. EVIDENCE THAT A CRIME WAS COMMITTED
    Breitsprecher argues that there was insufficient evidence that any crime was committed
    and that Kerzman’s statements should not have been admitted because there was no independent
    proof that Breitsprecher fished using unlawful gear or that he unlawfully interfered with fishing
    gear other than Kerzman’s statements. We disagree.
    “Corpus delicti means the ‘body of the crime’ and must be proved by evidence sufficient
    to support the inference that there has been a criminal act.” State v. Brockob, 
    159 Wash. 2d 311
    , 327,
    
    150 P.3d 59
    (2006) (quoting State v. Aten, 
    130 Wash. 2d 640
    , 655, 
    927 P.2d 210
    (1996)). Under the
    corpus delicti rule, “[a] defendant’s incriminating statement alone is not sufficient to establish that
    a crime took place.” 
    Brockob, 159 Wash. 2d at 328
    (emphasis added) (footnote omitted). The corpus
    delicti rule arose from judicial distrust of confessions. City of Bremerton v. Corbett, 
    106 Wash. 2d 569
    , 576, 
    723 P.2d 1135
    (1986). Courts feared that confessions would be uncritically accepted by
    juries, even if there was evidence that the admissions were involuntary, coerced, or untruthful.
    12
    No. 51346-3-II
    
    Aten, 130 Wash. 2d at 656-57
    . However, the corpus delicti rule applies to incriminating statements
    made by a defendant, not to statements made by an accomplice. 
    Brockob, 159 Wash. 2d at 328
    .
    Here, the State did not rely on any incriminating statements by Breitsprecher to support the
    convictions; rather, the State relied on the statements of Kerzman, an accomplice. Thus, the corpus
    delicti rule does not apply here, contrary to Breitsprecher’s arguments. Further, Kerzman’s
    testimony as an accomplice was properly admitted. Kerzman testified that at Breitsprecher’s
    direction, he stole the crab pots that were in Breitsprecher’s possession on his vessel and in his
    gear storage stacks, and that the manner in which he [Kerzman] stole the pots violated the
    applicable Fish and Wildlife commercial fishing statutes and regulations. Kerzman’s testimony
    alone was sufficient to support the convictions. However, in addition to Kerzman’s statements,
    the State presented testimony by several commercial crab fisherpersons who testified that they did
    not sell, give, or permit Breitsprecher to possess their crab pots. The State also presented physical
    evidence at trial by admitting five of the thirty-two stolen crab pots. Viewing the evidence and all
    reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the State, a rational jury could find beyond a
    reasonable doubt that sufficient evidence supports the convictions and that the law of finds does
    not apply here. Thus, we hold that Breitsprecher’s arguments fail.
    E. WASHINGTON’S OFFSHORE JURISDICTION
    Breitsprecher next argues that the State presented insufficient evidence that the unlawful
    acts of possessing stolen property and using unlawful fishing gear occurred within 12 miles of the
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    No. 51346-3-II
    shore of Washington state, citing to the United National Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article
    3,3 and 43 U.S.C. Section 1311. We disagree.
    Breitsprecher’s claim that the State did not prove jurisdiction related to the possession of
    stolen property conviction fails. The jury heard testimony that the stolen crab pots were seized
    from his stack of pots in the gear yard located in Washington. That testimony is sufficient to prove
    jurisdiction.
    Breitsprecher’s argument that the State did not prove jurisdiction for the commercial
    fishing using unlawful fishing gear conviction, also fails. As discussed above, the State was
    required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt as an element of the crime that Breitsprecher acted
    “for a commercial purpose and did take or fish for any fish or shellfish” in violation of Fish and
    Wildlife’s statutes and regulations. CP at 50. The evidence presented by the State proved that
    Breitsprecher’s act of fishing for commercial crab and taking shellfish included landing the catch
    in Westport when the Shearwater II came back into port. Kerzman’s testimony established that
    Breitsprecher directed him to steal crab pots at sea, sort the contents, keep the harvestable crab,
    retain the stolen crab pots after modifying their appearance to make them appear to belong to
    Breitsprecher, and then return to Westport with the crab and the stolen crab pots.
    Breitsprecher’s argument that the State failed to prove jurisdiction for the unlawful
    interference with fishing gear conviction, also fails. The record establishes that Breitsprecher
    removed commercial crab unlawfully from other commercial fisherperson’s gear—their crab pots.
    Breitsprecher did this without their permission and he intentionally destroyed or interfered with
    3
    United National Convention on the Law of the Sea, sec. 2, art. 3 at 27, located at:
    https://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf.
    14
    No. 51346-3-II
    others’ commercial fishing gear in violation of state statutes and regulations, thus, establishing a
    violation subject to the State’s jurisdiction.
    Viewing the evidence and all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the State,
    the State provided sufficient evidence that a rational trier of fact could find beyond a reasonable
    doubt that the alleged unlawful acts of possessing, using, and interfering occurred in the State of
    Washington under the State’s offshore jurisdiction.
    II. ACCOMPLICE LIABILITY
    Breitsprecher also argues that the trial court failed to instruct the jury on accomplice
    liability for the commercial fishing using unlawful gear and the unlawful interference with fishing
    gear charges, and thus, the court erred by denying his motion to arrest judgment. We hold that the
    trial court did not err because Breitsprecher failed to proffer an accomplice liability jury
    instruction.
    An appellant who fails to raise an issue at trial, such as the trial court’s failure to give a
    jury instruction, waives the issue on appeal unless he can show a manifest error affecting a
    constitutional right. RAP 2.5(a)(3); State v. O’Hara, 
    167 Wash. 2d 91
    , 98, 
    217 P.3d 756
    (2009).
    Here, Breitsprecher did not proffer an accomplice liability jury instruction. He also does
    not argue why the failure to instruct the jury on accomplice liability constituted a manifest error
    affecting a constitutional right. Thus, this issue is waived.
    To the extent that Breitsprecher argues that the evidence was insufficient to convict him
    absent an accomplice instruction, we have explained above that the evidence was sufficient to
    support Breitsprecher’s conviction for possession of stolen property because Breitsprecher himself
    possessed the stolen crab pots. We have also explained above that Breitsprecher himself acted for
    15
    No. 51346-3-II
    commercial purposes as the captain, owner, and operator of the Shearwater II, and he fished for
    commercial crab using gear in violation of Fish and Wildlife’s statutes and regulations governing
    commercial crabbing. Finally, as described above, there was evidence that Breitsprecher himself
    intentionally interfered with others’ commercial fishing gear, supporting his conviction for
    unlawful interference with fishing gear. As a result, the absence of an accomplice liability
    instruction does not undermine the sufficiency of the evidence supporting Breitsprecher’s
    convictions.
    CONCLUSION
    We hold that sufficient evidence supports Breitsprecher’s convictions, his jury instruction
    claim fails, and the trial court did not err by denying his motion to dismiss and motion to arrest
    judgment. We affirm.
    A majority of the panel having determined that this opinion will not be printed in the
    Washington Appellate Reports, but will be filed for public record in accordance with RCW 2.06.040,
    it is so ordered.
    SUTTON, J.
    We concur:
    MELNICK, P.J.
    GLASGOW, J.
    16