A father-and-son team from Massachusetts and other buyers are acquiring scallop fishing boats owned by a disgraced fishing magnate nicknamed the Codfather.

The sale of Carlos Rafael's 11 scallop boats and their related permits signals the beginning of his forced divestment from U.S. fisheries. The federal government is making the imprisoned Rafael sell his fishing assets as part of a settlement.

An attorney for Charles Quinn and his son Michael Quinn tells The Associated Press the duo's buying seven of the scallop boats and selling one. Court papers say they're buying the seven boats for about $46 million. They, like Rafael, are based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Rafael was once owner of one of the country's largest commercial fishing operations. He was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for dodging quotas and smuggling profits overseas.