Brooklyn, New York – In a shocking case of wildlife trafficking, Wei Qiang Lin, a Chinese national, has pleaded guilty to exporting protected turtles from the United States to Hong Kong. According to court records, between August 2023 and November 2024, Lin exported to Hong Kong approximately 222 parcels containing around 850 turtles, but he labeled the boxes as containing ‘plastic animal toys,’ among other things.
The approximate market value of the turtles was $1.4 million. Law enforcement intercepted the turtles during a border inspection and observed them bound and taped inside knotted socks within the shipping boxes. Lin also exported 11 other parcels filled with reptiles, including venomous snakes.
Lin primarily shipped eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles, native U.S. species which feature colorful markings – a prized feature in the domestic and foreign pet market, particularly in China and Hong Kong. Both are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as a result of the illegal export of tens of thousands of box turtles every year during the 1990s.
Lin is scheduled to be sentenced on December 23. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the illegal activity. As part of his plea, Lin also agreed to abandon any property interest in the reptiles seized during the investigation.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with the help of other federal and local law enforcement entities, including Customs and Border Protection, Postal Inspections Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York made the announcement.
Wei Qiang Lin, 25-cr-100 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
Defendant: Wei Qiang Lin
Criminal Charges: Falsely labeling live turtles as fake toys prior to exporting them in delivery boxes
City and State: Brooklyn, New York
Date: August 2023 to November 2024 (crime date)
Sentence: Scheduled to be sentenced on December 23, faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release
Dollar Amounts: $1.4 million (approximate market value of the turtles)
Related Federal Cases
- Laquanta Grant, Tax Fraud and Identity Theft, Alabama 2010 · Washington
- Khyle Williams, Gun Trafficking, New York 2023 · Georgia
- Letitia James, Opioid Trafficking, New York 2022 · New York
- Letitia James, Fentanyl Trafficking, New York 2022 · Texas
- Wall Street Firms, Financial Malfeasance, New York NY, 2023 · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Wildlife Trafficking|Environmental Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News