Steven Baker, Wildlife Trafficking, South Carolina 2015

Columbia, SC – In a shocking case of wildlife trafficking, Steven Baker, 35, of Holly Hill, and Ray Roberson, 68, of Cottageville, were sentenced in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, for Wildlife Trafficking (Lacey Act violations) under 16 U.S.C. ?? 3372(a)(2)(A) and 3373(d)(2).

According to court records, Baker was sentenced to Probation for 3 years for the Wildlife Trafficking offense on September 22, 2015, by United States District Judge David C. Norton of Charleston. He was also sentenced for Possession of Weapons and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), and received a sentence of Probation for 3 years to run concurrently with the Wildlife Trafficking offense.

Roberson, on the other hand, was sentenced to Time Served for Wildlife Trafficking on August 13, 2015, by United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel of Charleston.

The case highlights the growing problem of wildlife trafficking in the southeastern United States, a region recognized as a “Turtle Priority Area” for conservation due to its rich turtle biodiversity.

The Spotted Turtle (Clemmys Guttata), in particular, has suffered from the effects of commercial over-exploitation, high nest mortality, and delayed maturity. The species was recently listed for protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and is recognized as a species not necessarily in immediate threat of extinction, but which may become so unless trade of the species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services agents received information that Baker was engaged in the unlawful sale and possession of turtles, and conducted an undercover investigation of Baker for unlawfully possessing and selling turtles. The investigation revealed that Baker sold 17 spotted turtles for $1,200 at the Daytona Beach Reptile Breeders Exposition in 2012, and sent a UPS shipment containing 18 spotted turtles and other species to an undercover agent in Orlando, Florida, for $1,710 in 2013.

The investigation also revealed that Baker, a convicted felon, was in possession of firearms and ammunition in his home, which led to additional charges under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents subsequently determined that the weapons and ammunition were in Baker’s possession.

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