United States Attorney Jeffrey Collins announced today that a federal court in Detroit, Mich., unsealed a 10-count indictment charging three Michigan men with illegally purchasing hides of federally-endangered tigers and leopards. The indictment was returned May 2001, in the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit following a lengthy undercover investigation by agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The indictments charge George F. Riley, 69, of Farmington Hills, Mich., with three felony violations of the Lacey Act, and two misdemeanor violations of the Endangered Species Act in connection with his purchase of two tiger hides and one black leopard hide. Leonard A. Kruszewski, 40, of Milford, Mich., was charged with two felony violations of the Lacey Act and one misdemeanor violation of the Endangered Species Act in connection with his purchase of a tiger hide. William Donald Foshee, 43, of Jackson, Mich., was charged with one felony violation of the Lacey Act and one misdemeanor violation of the Endangered Species Act for his purchase of a leopard hide.
Service investigators, working closely with the U.S. Attorneys Offices in Missouri, Illinois and Michigan, uncovered a group of residents and small business owners in the Midwest that allegedly bought and killed exotic tigers, leopards, snow leopards, lions, mountain lions, cougars, mixed breed cats and black bears with the intention of introducing meat and skins into the lucrative animal parts trade. The three Michigan men were not charged with killing any of the animals. Tigers and snow leopards are listed as "Endangered" under the federal Endangered Species Act. The law also protects leopards, which are classified as either "endangered" or "threatened" depending on the location of the wild population. Although federal regulations allow possession of captive-bred tigers, the regulations stipulate activities involving their use must be to enhance the propagation or survival of the species. It is unlawful to kill the animals for profit, or to sell their hides, parts or meats into interstate commerce.
The three men charged in Michigan are the third phase of federal indictments to be brought in the ongoing investigation. Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis unsealed indictments charging five people in connection with the illegal trafficking of six endangered tigers and five leopards. On Nov. 8, 2001, federal conspiracy and Lacey Act charges were filed against Todd and Vicki Lantz, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., Freddy Wilmoth of Gentry, Ark., Stoney Elam of Fort Gibson, Okla., and Tim Rivers of Citra, Fla.. The five are alleged to have illegally purchased, transported and sold federally-endangered tigers and leopards between January and August 1998.
In January, Woody Thompson, Jr. of Three Rivers, Mich., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, Mich., to brokering the interstate sale of three tiger skins. Thompson, owner of the Willow Lake Sportsmans Club in Three Rivers, was sentenced to serve six months home detention and two years probation; fined $2,000 and ordered to pay $28,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundations "Save the Tigers Fund."
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the governments burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, George Riley and Leonard A. Kruszewski face maximum penalties of five years in prison and/or fines of up to $250,000. William Donald Foshee may receive up to five years in prison and/or fines up to $50,000.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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