A couple that runs a restaurant, a man who owns a sea food company and a diver are accused of a conspiracy to illegally take abalone from Sonoma Coast waters.

Jimmy T. Fong, Phillip W. Murphy, Keng Man Ha and Lisa Ha pleaded not guilty in Sonoma County court Thursday to felony conspiracy to violate abalone laws.

The charges grew out of undercover surveillance by Fish and Game officials who say Murphy, 60, of Novato dove for and stockpiled abalone, and sold at least three dozen to Fong, the owner of a San Francisco sea food company. Fong, in turn, is accused of selling them to the Ha couple, who operate a San Mateo restaurant.

Although abalone is on their menu, attorneys for the couple say they import it legally from Mexico and did not obtain it from North Coast waters, where it can be harvested only in limited numbers by sport fishermen and not sold.

Attorney Jack Montgomery denied that Murphy was selling abalone. "He thought he was providing abalone for a Chinese wedding that Mr. Fong was throwing. He and Fong were simply friends," he said.