A Lee County, Florida man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a massive turtle smuggling operation that shipped thousands of reptiles to Germany and Hong Kong.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that John Michael Kreatsoulas, 36, of Alva, Florida, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
Kreatsoulas was also barred from engaging in any commercial activity involving wildlife, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to traffic wildlife and nine counts of falsifying records in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court documents, Kreatsoulas was the owner and principal of Omni Reptiles Inc., an unregistered Florida business that traded in protected species of reptiles, including turtles. From 2015 to 2021, Kreatsoulas and his co-conspirators collected and sold turtles to domestic and foreign customers, including to those in Germany and Hong Kong.
Kreatsoulas falsified U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) forms to conceal the origin of the turtles, claiming they were captive-bred when in fact they were wild-caught. The turtles were shipped through Miami International Airport.
The investigation was led by FWS agents in Miami, with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald and Senior Trial Attorney Gary N. Donner prosecuted the case, resulting in Kreatsoulas’ guilty plea and prison sentence.
Kreatsoulas’ sentence marks a significant blow to wildlife traffickers in Florida, and serves as a reminder of the consequences of exploiting protected species for profit.
The case highlights the need for continued vigilance in protecting Florida’s wildlife and ecosystems from those who seek to exploit them for financial gain.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Wildlife Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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