Levittown, PA – In a shocking revelation, David Sommers, a 62-year-old resident of Levittown, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Philadelphia for trafficking in protected diamondback terrapins. According to the indictment, Sommers smuggled turtles and submitted false records for a package shipped to Canada and four violations of the Lacey Act for trafficking over 3,500 turtles in interstate commerce.
The USFWS seized over 3,400 diamondback terrapin hatchlings from Sommers’ house in October while executing a search warrant. They were able to coordinate with biologists and return the hatchlings back into their New Jersey native habitat.
The indictment alleges that throughout 2017 Sommers poached diamondback terrapins and their eggs from coastal marshes in New Jersey. He would then illegally sell the turtles in violation of the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits the sale of wildlife that had been taken in violation of law. The indictment also charges that in 2014, Sommers smuggled turtles to Canada and falsely labeled the package by claiming it contained a book.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania William M. McSwain, and Acting Assistant Director Edward Grace of the Office of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the indictment today.
“The distinctive coloration and pattern of the diamondback terrapin make it highly susceptible to illegal poaching and smuggling,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Wood. “The Justice will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute those who break our nation’s wildlife protection statutes for the sake of illegal profit.”
If convicted, Sommers faces a maximum sentence of 10 years incarceration on the smuggling charge and five years for the Lacey Act violations. The indictment also seeks to forfeit from Sommers all the turtles involved in the investigation.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Mandatory Facts
Defendant/Respondent: David Sommers
Criminal Charges: Smuggling turtles and submitting false records for a package shipped to Canada and four violations of the Lacey Act for trafficking over 3,500 turtles in interstate commerce.
City and State: Levittown, Pennsylvania
Exact Date: Not specified, but the indictment charges Sommers with poaching diamondback terrapins and their eggs from coastal marshes in New Jersey throughout 2017 and smuggling turtles to Canada in 2014.
Sentence or Outcome: Sommers is currently facing a maximum sentence of 10 years incarceration on the smuggling charge and five years for the Lacey Act violations.
Dollar Amounts: Not specified
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Wildlife Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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