A 21-year-old woman, Keri Zhang Wang of Elk Grove, CA, was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 21. She faces charges for smuggling box turtles and map turtles from California to Hong Kong, as well as false labeling of exports. The announcement was made by United States Attorney David L. Anderson and United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Daniel Crum.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California alleges that Wang smuggled at least 11 parcels containing box turtles and map turtles from September 2016 to June 2019. According to the indictment, Wang did not have the required permits to export the reptiles from the United States and failed to declare them to U.S. officials. She reportedly placed each turtle in a sock to restrict movement and hid them in shoeboxes under bags of snacks and other food items for shipping. Wang was charged with four counts of smuggling goods from the United States and four counts of Lacey Act false labeling. Her initial court appearance is scheduled for October 29, 2019, in the Northern District of California Federal Court in San Jose. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each smuggling count, and up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each Lacey Act violation. A statement released by the U.S. District Court for Northern California is available for further details.
