A Lee County man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a turtle smuggling ring that shipped thousands of turtles to Germany and Hong Kong.
John Michael Kreatsoulas, 36, of Alva, Florida, was sentenced to serve a year and a day in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
Kreatsoulas was also barred by the court from engaging in any commercial activity involving wildlife.
The sentencing hearing took place on May 24. Kreatsoulas had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic wildlife and nine counts of falsifying records in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court documents, from July 2015 to July 2021, Kreatsoulas was the owner and principal of Omni Reptiles Inc., an unregistered Florida business located in Alva, Florida.
Omni Reptiles was in the business of domestic and international wholesale trade of wildlife, including protected species of reptiles.
Kreatsoulas and his co-conspirators collected and captured various species of turtles, including three-stripe mud turtles and Florida mud turtles, from the wild in Florida and sold those turtles to interstate and foreign customers.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Wildlife Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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