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Smuggling Ring Leaders Plead Guilty
WASHINGTON – Two California men and their company have pleaded guilty to charges related to the international trafficking of endangered rhinoceros horn. Vin h Chung “Jimmy” Kha, 49, and Felix Kha, 26, both of Garden Grove, Calif., each pleaded guilty to five felony counts related to their roles in the smuggling conspiracy. Win Lee Corp., owned by Jimmy Kha, pleaded guilty to two felony counts charging smuggling and Lacey Act trafficking.
The guilty pleas were announced by Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division; André Birotte Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California; and Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In their plea agreements, Jimmy and Felix Kha each admitted purchasing White and Black rhinoceros horn in interstate and intrastate commerce, knowing that animals were protected by federal law as endangered and threatened species. Both defendants stated that they purchased the horns in order to export them overseas to be sold and made into libation cups or traditional medicine.
The Khas also admitted to making payments to Vietnamese customs officials to ensure clearance of horn shipments sent to that country. In addition, Jimmy and Felix Kha each admitted to failing to pay income tax owed in 2009 and 2010. The defendants’ actions contributed to the soaring increase in the trade of rhino horns both domestically and internationally, leading to increased poaching of the species in the wild.
“The Khas conspired to violate numerous federal laws, including those enacted by Congress to protect endangered species like the rhinoceros, a species that faces extinction in our time,” said Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno. “This prosecution and continuing investigation should send a clear message that we will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who are involved in this egregious and illegal trade.”
Two other defendants linked to the Khas – J in Zhao Feng, 45, of China and Jarrod Wade Steffen, 32, of Hico, Texas – previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in Los Angeles related to rhino horn trafficking. In an earlier plea agreement, which was filed with the court on Aug. 15, 2012, Feng admitted to fraudulently and knowingly attempting to smuggle a black rhinoceros horn, an endangered species, from the United States to China. Steffen, who used money provided by the Khas to buy horns for them, pleaded guilty on June 14, 2012, to charges of conspiracy, smuggling, Lacey Act violations and money laundering.
Rhinoceros are an herbivore species of prehistoric origin and one of the largest remaining mega-fauna on earth. They have no known predators other than humans. All species of rhinoceros are protected under United States and international law, and all black rhinoceros species are endangered. Since 1976, trade in rhinoceros horn has been regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Violent Crime|Environmental Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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