BY JOHN MONK, 3/7/18, The Herald
Three South Carolinians and a North
Carolinian have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of operating
an illegal scheme to smuggle tiny turtles in and out of the United States.
The turtles were shipped by U.S. mail and
FedEx, packaged in socks and covered up with little pieces of candy or noodles,
according to the indictment. Many of the packages were labeled “snacks.”
Smuggling turtles, many endangered and
federally protected, is a little known but profitable illegal business. Several
shipments, totaling 148 turtles, were estimated to be worth “between $117,200
and $409,250,” according to the indictment.
“Collectors in the U.S. will pay thousands of
dollars for exotic Chinese turtles, and collectors in China will pay thousands
for U.S. turtles,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday, who is
prosecuting the case.
One of the men indicted, Matthew Harrison
Kail of North Carolina, was caught illegally collecting two spotted turtles at
the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge near the Outer Banks, according to
the indictment. When apprehended, he had $17,000 in cash and two ornate
diamondback terrapins on him, the indictment said.
The South Carolinians indicted were Joseph
Logan Brooks of Holly Hill and Matthew Tyler Fischer and William Martin
Fischer, both of Harleyville.
Only Brooks has a lawyer, according to court
records. His attorney, Debbie Barbier, could not be reached for comment.
The four are charged with failing to obtain
the permits required under an international wildlife protection treaty to
import and export turtles, and engaging in a conspiracy to carry out illegal
wildlife smuggling, importing and exporting the little shelled reptiles. The
conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of
up to $250,000.
Federal investigators learned about the four
after the 2016 arrest of a New York City man, Jason Hsu.
Federal inspectors opened packages at New
York’s JFK International Airport and found 48 endangered Chinese and South
American turtles nestled in piles of candy and noodles.
The packages were addressed to Hsu at his
home address. Agents descended on Hsu’s apartment and charged him with illegal
smuggling.
According to the just-issued S.C. indictment,
Hsu – who cooperated with federal investigators – was a key contact in the
illegal shipping of endangered turtles in and out of South Carolina.
Others involved in the conspiracy used
Facebook to message Hsu about turtle smuggling, the indictment said.
They also texted each other, exchanging
messages referring to turtles such as, “I need badly 20.20 ornates; 10.30 strip
necks; 2.5 juvie rings; 2.5 blotched; And of course mangroves LOL and what are
the albino temple turtles worth to you?”
Although turtle smuggling has not attracted
as much attention as, say, trafficking in elephant ivory, it is a booming
business, wildlife experts say.
“In Asia, where turtles are highly valued as
a food source and often seen as a medicinal food, they have eaten and collected
most of the wild turtles,” said Will Dillman, reptile and amphibian
conservation program coordinator at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
“Asians have started looking to other markets
to supply that food demand, and there’s also trade for pets as well,” Dillman
said.
The Southeast and South Carolina “happen to
be relatively rich in the numbers and diversity of turtles,” so it is a prime
hunting ground for smugglers to harvest turtles to meet the Asian demand,
Dillman said.
Being shipped by mail doesn’t hurt the
turtles as long as the package doesn’t take too long to arrive.
“Most reptiles can survive — very, very
easily – several days without water and much longer without food,” Dillman
said.
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