Fla. Man Sentenced for Illegally Exporting Turtles to China
Okeechobee, Fla., resident David Feltenberger was sentenced to 90 days in prison and 90 days of home confinement with electronic monitoring, to be followed by three years of supervised released, a $20,000.00 fine, and 250 hours of community service on…
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charges of exporting turtles to China, the Justice Department said. Feltenberger also agreed to forfeit the illegal catch of turtles and a commercial vehicle used to transport the turtles. He had pleaded guilty July 16. Feltenberger owned a turtle aquaculture facility known as the Big Lake Fish Farm II and possessed an FWCC Turtle Aquaculture Brood Stock Collection Permit. Feltenberger's permit allowed him to collect over 15,000 turtles of various species from the wild for use as brood stock. However, in violation of his FWCC Permit, Feltenberger purchased wild-caught turtles and repeatedly shipped the live turtles to China, in violation of the Lacey Act, the Justice Department said.