Boxes labeled as toys hid hundreds of live reptiles headed overseas, federal prosecutors say.
A Brooklyn man will spend two years in prison after authorities caught him exporting live turtles, snakes, and lizards by falsely labeling them as fake toys.
Scheme hid reptiles in shipping boxes
Wei Qiang Lin was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo after investigators proved he mislabeled parcels bound for Hong Kong to evade wildlife laws.
Court records show that between August 2023 and November 2024, Lin shipped about 222 parcels containing roughly 850 turtles. He marked the boxes as “plastic animal toys” and similar items, violating the federal Lacey Act.
Customs officials intercepted the shipments during inspections. Officers found the animals bound and taped inside knotted socks packed into delivery boxes.
Protected species also targeted
Prosecutors said Lin also attempted to export protected Abronia lizards and venomous green tree vipers and palm pit vipers, all covered under the international Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers also seized packages containing rare Cora mud turtles. The Buffalo Zoo later used those turtles to establish the first-ever assurance colony for the species, which could help repopulate them if wild numbers collapse.
Authorities estimated the turtles alone had a market value of $1.4 million.
Fine tied to arrest
In addition to prison time, the judge fined Lin $2,339, matching the amount of cash he carried when officers arrested him.
Federal officials investigated the case as part of Operation Terrapene, a nationwide effort targeting organized turtle smuggling networks. The operation involves the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Customs and Border Protection, the Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
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