NEW YORK
A Florida man admitted in federal court in Brooklyn to illegally catching snakes and transporting of the 59 reptiles that are protected by state laws, officials said.
Sometimes he received money for the reptiles; other times he bartered snakes, officials said.
The last criminal charge of the information deals with Kruse’s involvement in the shipment of a diamondback rattlesnake from Texas to Douglaston in a coffee can, in violation of U.S. Postal regulations.
Gerard Kruse, 42, a social worker who lives in Oviedo, Florida, plead guilty last week in federal court in Brooklyn to 13 Lacey Act violations for his role in the trade of illegally caught snakes, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division officials said.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of Operation Kingsnake.
At the time of the crimes, Kruse was living in Douglaston, New York.
In court documents, Kruse admitted that between 2008 and 2012, he knowingly participated in violations, which involved the illegal collection, transport and receipt of 59 snakes that were collected from and protected by various states, such as New Jersey, California and Oregon, according to officials.
Under the Lacey Act, it is illegal to knowingly ship or receive snakes in interstate commerce that were taken in violation of state law.
During the course of his conduct, Kruse personally collected protected snakes and shipped them to collectors in other states.
In addition, Kruse would solicit snakes from out-of-state collectors, while knowing that those collectors had procured their snakes illegally.
“The Lacey Act is an important statute for protecting our nation’s wildlife against those who make enforcement of state laws difficult by crossing state lines with protected species,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Adding, “All of our protected species, including reptiles, are important to our ecosystems and must be shielded from such illegal trafficking. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously support efforts against domestic wildlife trafficking.”
