In a shocking case of wildlife trafficking, Travis Leger of Sulphur, Louisiana, and his half-brother Jason Leckelt of Wilburton, Oklahoma, were sentenced to prison for conspiring to violate the Lacey Act by illegally trafficking alligator snapping turtles.
Travis Leger, 21 months, and Jason Leckelt, 16 months, were sentenced in federal court in Beaumont, Texas, on an undisclosed date in 2017. They will also serve three years of supervised release following their prison terms. A third defendant, Rickey Simon of Sulphur, Louisiana, was sentenced to three years of probation.
According to court documents, Leger and Leckelt were involved in a large-scale turtle trafficking operation, which involved catching and selling alligator snapping turtles in Texas and then transporting them back to Louisiana for sale. The turtles are designated as threatened with statewide extinction under Texas State Law, and their sale is strictly prohibited.
As part of their guilty pleas, Leger and Leckelt admitted to selling live, illegally taken alligator snapping turtles for significant sums of money. Leger admitted to selling a 171-pound turtle for $1,000 and another 168-pound turtle for $500 in May and June 2016. Leckelt admitted to selling an illegally-trafficked 120-pound turtle to an undercover agent for an undisclosed amount.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries all played a role in the investigation, which led to the sentencing of Leger and Leckelt.
The case highlights the importance of protecting endangered species and enforcing laws that prohibit wildlife trafficking. The Lacey Act makes it a crime to engage in the interstate trafficking of wildlife taken in violation of state wildlife protection laws.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Wildlife Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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