A Chinese man, Wei Qiang Lin, pleaded guilty in the Federal District Court for the Western District of New York on Monday, August 11, to illegally smuggling protected wild turtles worth over one million dollars to Hong Kong. He disguised the transportation boxes as toys. Lin faces a maximum of five years in prison and high fines.
Lin, a Chinese national, currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Prosecutors stated that from August 2023 to November 2024, Lin sent a total of 222 packages to Hong Kong, containing 850 live turtles, falsely labeled as “plastic animal toys” and other items on the outer boxes. The market value of these turtles is approximately $1.4 million.
The turtles mainly exported by Lin are native species in the United States – Eastern Box Turtles and Three-Toed Box Turtles, known for their vibrant patterns, highly sought after in both domestic and international pet markets, especially in China and Hong Kong. Due to tens of thousands of box turtles illegally exported every year in the 1990s, these two species have been listed in the protection list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Law enforcement intercepted the turtles at the border inspection, finding them bound, taped, and stuffed into knotted socks inside the shipping boxes. Prosecutors added that Lin also included venomous snakes and other reptiles in another 11 packages.
Lin will be sentenced on December 23, facing a maximum of 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or double the profits from the illegal activities or losses caused.
Lin has agreed to relinquish all property rights to the reptiles seized during the investigation.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York jointly announced Lin’s guilty plea. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collaborated with multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies in the investigation. The Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York brought charges against Lin.