A protected coral seized in a shipment.
Credit: USFWS

New York Man Pleads Guilty to Coral Smuggling

A New York City marine supply wholesaler pleaded guilty in a federal court to one felony count of smuggling protected live coral. The plea came after a 1.5 year-long investigation by special agents and wildlife investigators from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Valley Stream (NY) Office of the Office of Law Enforcement.

News of the corals, protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) treaty comes just as representatives of the 177 nations embracing CITES meet in Bangkok, Thailand for the Conference of the Parties.

Press release
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New York District Law Enforcement

Published on: Tuesday, March 12,2013