Ammon Covino, Violating Conditions of Release, Florida 2023

Aquarium operator Ammon Covino, 43, has been re-sentenced to eight additional months of incarceration and an additional one-year term of supervised release after violating conditions of his release in a marine life trafficking case. The re-sentencing hearing took place before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Key West, Florida.

Covino was originally sentenced in December 2013 to a term of imprisonment of one year and a day, followed by a term of supervised release of 2 years. He was also barred from any employment during that period that involved the possession, display, transportation, exhibition, purchase, or sale of marine life.

However, in February 2016, Covino was sentenced to an additional 3 months in prison and a $50,000 financial penalty for violating the special employment restrictions after agents discovered that he had secretly become involved in the development and construction of two aquarium facilities in the State of Texas, using false names and false claims of employment.

According to statements made in court during today’s hearing, within five days of Covino’s release from his most recent prison sentence, he again became involved in consulting and directing the development, construction, and exhibition details for two new aquarium facilities, located in Layton, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. He traveled to visit the facilities several times and lied to his probation officer regarding his travels.

The case involves a conspiracy to harvest, transport, and sell spotted eagle rays and lemon sharks, knowing the marine life were taken, possessed, transported, sold, and intended to be sold in violation of the laws and regulations of the State of Florida, contrary to the federal Lacey Act, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

The defendant, Ammon Covino, was an officer of the Idaho Aquarium in Boise and had been advised of the requirements of the law. Nevertheless, he directed his Florida-based suppliers to ignore the law and make the shipments. Payment for the various specimens was made by credit cards held in the Aquarium’s name.

The Idaho Aquarium, Inc. pled guilty to the same conspiracy count and was ordered to pay a $50,000 penalty. Mr. Ferrer commended the joint investigative efforts of the Special Agents of the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement and the Fish & Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement who participated in the long-term investigation into the illegal harvesting and sale of marine life resources from the Florida Keys.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/aquarium-operator-sentenced-additional-prison-term-violating-conditions-release