Officials stated that a federal grand jury charged a New York man Wednesday with a three-count indictment alleging he illegally shipped eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles.
Both eastern box and three-toed box turtles protected wildlife species from the United States to China for the global pet trade black market.
Russell Milis, 26, of Brooklyn, is charged with two counts of smuggling goods from the United States and one count of violating the Lacey Act.
According to the indictment, Milis exported turtles between November 2019 and November 2020 without obtaining the required license or notifying customs officials that the turtles were wildlife in accordance with the Endangered Species Act.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement to protect fish, wildlife, and plants that are or may become threatened with extinction, protects both species of turtles.
The United States and China are parties to this agreement.
The indictment alleges that Milis shipped the turtles to Asia without the mandatory CITES permits.
The indictment also charged Milis with shipping the turtles in packages that were falsely labeled as to their contents, in violation of the Lacey Act.
The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute.
It prohibits, among other things, shipping wildlife, fish, or plants in interstate or international commerce without accurate information as to the contents.
The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is a subspecies of the common box turtle. It is native to forested regions of the eastern United States, with some isolated populations in the Midwest.
The three-toed box turtle (Terrapene triunguis) is also a subspecies of the common box turtle and is native to woodlands and grasslands in the central and southern United States.
Turtles with colorful markings are especially prized in the domestic and foreign pet trade markets, particularly in China and Hong Kong, where they can sell for several thousand dollars, according to authorities.
If convicted, Milis faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each smuggling count and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the Lacey Act violation.
He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty
A court could also order a fine of up to the greater of $250,000 or twice the defendant’s financial gain from the criminal activity charged in each count.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant Director Edward Grace of
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors and Trial Attorney Elise Kent Bernanke of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.