In the plea agreement, Laurie admitted that in January 1997, he took possession of a skull and hide of two endangered leopards that were illegally transported into the United States from South Africa and that, in May 1998, Laurie purchased false documentation that made it appear the leopard skull and hide, as well as another illegally obtained leopard hide, were from captive bred animals that died from natural causes. Laurie also admitted that, in January 1997, he purchased a tiger that was killed and skinned on his property, and then mounted by a taxidermist for display at his residence. Laurie also obtained falsified U.S. Department of Agriculture forms declaring that the tiger had been "donated" to him.
Laurie entered the guilty plea before Judge James B. Holderman at the U.S. District Court in Chicago, Ill., on May 23. The concealment of illegally imported merchandise is a felony violation that carries a maximum penalty of five years confinement and fine of up to $250,000. Laurie is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24.
Laurie was one of eight people indicted in Chicago this month following a lengthy undercover investigation, called Operation Snow Plow, by Special Agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Service investigators, working closely with U.S. Attorneys offices in Illinois, Missouri, 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. Previously, five additional defendants were indicted in Missouri and four more defendants were indicted on federal charges in Michigan based upon the investigation.
Tigers 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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principle 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 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 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 service 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.
For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes - Big Rivers Region, visit our home page at http://midwest.fws.gov
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