Police: crawfish worth $8,600 stolen

A 41-year-old Morgan City man was arrested Monday after he stole 82 sacks of crawfish valued at nearly $8,600 on Friday at a crawfish dock in Morgan City, Morgan City Police Chief Michael Banks said.
Shawn M. Stansbury, 41, of Aucoin Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:33 a.m. Monday on a warrant for unauthorized use of a moveable and theft more than $500.
Stansbury turned himself in on a warrant stemming from a crawfish theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle, Banks said in a news release.
Stansbury had temporary use of a pickup truck with crawfish in it, but sold the crawfish without permission and kept the profits of $8,599.50 for himself, Banks said.
Stansbury was released on $50,000 bail.
This theft occurred at a time when crawfish are scarce due to the cold temperatures the region has experienced this winter, according to an Associated Press article. The article stated that restaurants usually charge $3 to $4 a pound for boiled crawfish, but the price is nearly $8 at restaurants and markets across the state, according to the Gulf Seafood Institute.