OLYMPIA — A Port Orchard man has been sentenced to four months in prison after illegally harvesting 300 pounds of geoduck from the Olympia area and dumping them near Port Orchard, reported The Olympian.

The newspaper reported 27-year-old Matthew R. Petersen was convicted for first-degree unlawful shellfish trafficking is a rare win for authorities.

Petersen’s case began in July 2012 when officers responded to a report of thousands of the clams dumped on a boat ramp. The clams had Petersen’s tags on them, but he claimed his tags had been stolen.

Investigators eventually found out that Petersen’s license had been suspended, but that he had been calling companies offering geoducks at a discount.

State Department of Fish and Wildlife Police Deputy Chief Mike Cenci said geoduck poaching happens often, but it’s hard to catch because the clams can be harvested at any time of the day, no matter the tide.