MIAMI, FL – Jonathan M. Hale, 30, of Patchogue, New York, is facing the consequences after pleading guilty to federal charges related to the illegal trafficking of marine life harvested from Florida waters. Hale was sentenced to two years of probation and slapped with a $10,000 criminal fine, the Department of Justice announced today.
The case, dubbed “Operation Rock Bottom,” centers around Hale’s scheme to illegally acquire and resell Ricordea florida, a type of soft coral, ripped from the Florida Keys. As Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Country Critters of Long Island, Inc., Hale ran a retail business dealing in various wildlife, including mammals, reptiles, and fish. But greed led him to skirt the law, and the feds caught on.
Federal investigators revealed that in September 2012, Hale met with a marine life supplier in Marathon Shores, Florida, to negotiate pricing for several species, including the coveted Ricordea florida, tarpon, and sharks. He subsequently placed an order for 100 pieces of the coral on live rock. A chilling phone conversation in early October revealed the supplier had sourced the coral illegally near Key West, and Hale explicitly agreed to keep the origin secret to avoid detection.
The illicit goods – six live rocks bearing approximately 111 specimens of Ricordea florida – were shipped from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to New York, consigned to “Country Critters-Jonathan Hale.” The wholesale invoice totaled $444.00, paid by Hale via credit card. However, the retail fair market value of the stolen coral exceeded $2,200, demonstrating a clear intent to profit from illegal activity. Hale was charged with violating Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(a)(2)(A), (a)(4), 3373(d)(1)(B), and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2, under the Lacey Act.
U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer, along with Edward Grace, Deputy Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Tracy A. Dunn, Special Agent in Charge of NOAA’s SAC Southeast Regional Office, lauded the collaborative investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald prosecuted the case, bringing Hale to justice. The feds are sending a message: exploiting Florida’s fragile marine ecosystems won’t be tolerated.
This conviction is another win for Operation Rock Bottom, a long-term investigation targeting the illegal harvesting and sale of marine life from the Florida Keys. Details on the case, including court documents, are available on the websites of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls) and the District Court for the Southern District of Florida (http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov).
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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