Star of ‘Wicked Tuna’ gets 4-years of probation

Published 11:56 am Saturday, June 11, 2016

BURLINGTON, Vt. — A man who received government disability checks while he had a fishing job filmed by the reality television show “Wicked Tuna” has been sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay more than $53,600 in restitution.

Paul Hebert, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, also was fined $5,000.

The 51-year-old Hebert was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Burlington. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of Social Security and Medicaid fraud.

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Hebert’s attorney didn’t immediately return a call for comment, but he has said Hebert filed for the benefits before he got the job on “Wicked Tuna.”

The National Geographic Channel show follows several Gloucester-based boats that try to land bluefin tuna, which can weigh hundreds of pounds and fetch thousands of dollars.