BUFFALO, N.Y.
Wei Qiang Lin, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to smuggling hundreds of protected turtles to Hong Kong by hiding them in socks and falsely labeling the shipments as “plastic animal toys,” officials announced Monday.
From August 2023 to November 2024, Lin sent about 222 parcels containing 850 turtles worth roughly $1.4 million. Border inspectors found the turtles bound and taped inside knotted socks. Lin also shipped 11 other parcels containing reptiles, including venomous snakes.
Most of the animals were eastern and three-toed box turtles — colorful, highly prized species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Lin faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release when sentenced Dec. 23. He has agreed to forfeit all seized reptiles.