St. Helena’s Deloach Sentenced $15K for Sperm Whale Parts Traffic

CHARLESTON, S.C. — In a grim reminder of the consequences of wildlife crime, Lauren Deloach, 69, from St. Helena, has been sentenced to 30 days of home confinement and a $15,000 fine for his involvement in the illegal trade of sperm whale parts.

The seasoned criminal was caught in a web of deception, importing, selling, and possessing sperm whale teeth and bones between September 2021 and September 2024. Despite knowing the severe penalties involved, Deloach falsely labeled shipments to evade law enforcement scrutiny.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, the investigation yielded two sperm whale teeth and one ear bone, adding to the approximately 47 teeth and two ear bones that were seized from Deloach before he pleaded guilty. The sperm whale, a majestic creature native to U.S. waters, once faced near-extinction due to commercial whaling until strict conservation laws were enacted.

United States District Judge David C. Norton agreed with the government’s recommendation for a substantial fine and ordered Deloach to pay $15,000 into the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, also known as the Lacey Act Reward Fund. This fine serves as both a deterrent and a contribution to future wildlife trafficking investigations.

In addition to the financial penalty, Judge Norton sentenced Deloach to 30 days of home confinement and two years of probation. The case was a collaborative effort between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Winston D. Holliday, Jr., and Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorney Ryan C. Connors.