A Hong Kong man pleaded guilty on Friday after wildfire inspectors in Torrance caught him attempting to smuggle eastern box turtles.
Sai Keung Tin, 54, entered his plea in Los Angeles federal court to four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to the report, Tin illegally aided in the exportation of 40 eastern box turtles from the United States to Hong Kong.
The turtles were sent in four boxes containing 8–12 turtles each, wrapped in socks. One of the 40 turtles was found deceased.
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Authorities intercepted the shipment in Torrance earlier this year. It was headed to Ji Yearlong, a name believed to be one of Tin's aliases. The turtles were also headed to what is believed to be Tin’s address in Hong Kong,
To get the turtles through customs, Tin falsely labeled the packages containing almonds and chocolate cookies.
The eastern box turtle - a subspecies of the common box turtle - is native to sections of the eastern and midwestern United States and Canada. The turtles often feature colorful markings, making them prized pets in China and Hong Kong.
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The turtles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement to protect fish, wildlife and plants that are or may become threatened with extinction.
Both China and the United States are a part of this agreement.
