CHARLESTON, S.C. — In a stunning blow to wildlife trafficking, Lauren Deloach, 69, of St. Helena, has been sentenced to 30 days of home confinement and a $15,000 fine for violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Lacey Act.
According to investigators, Deloach engaged in the illegal importation, sale, and possession of sperm whale teeth and bones from September 2021 through September 2024. Despite knowing that such activities were illegal, he falsified shipping documents to evade detection by law enforcement.
The Government presented the court with tangible evidence of Deloach’s crime: two sperm whale teeth and one ear bone, which were part of a larger collection of approximately 47 teeth and two ear bones he had previously surrendered before pleading guilty.
The sperm whale, a giant of the ocean that can weigh up to 45 tons and live for 60 years, was nearly wiped out by commercial whaling from 1800 to 1987. These intelligent animals communicate over vast distances, forming clans based on their sonar click dialects.
The Government recommended a substantial fine to be paid into the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, known as the Lacey Act Reward Fund. Judge David C. Norton agreed, imposing the $15,000 penalty and additional home confinement and probation terms.
This case was diligently investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein, Winston D. Holliday, Jr., and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Ryan C. Connors leading the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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