Little Rock -- James Randleas of Jacksonville, AR, doing business as Randleas Turtle Farm, Inc., was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Little Rock on three counts of violating the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act is a Federal statute which makes it unlawful to transport wildlife across state lines if the wildlife was taken, sold, or possessed in violation of state law.
" size=A cooperative investigation between the enforcement divisions of the , and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service revealed that on two occasions Randleas purchased alligator snapping turtles from a Mississippi resident knowing that the turtles had been taken from the wild, which is a violation of Mississippi law. Evidence showed that Randleas then knowingly imported the turtles into Arkansas in violation of Arkansas law. The investigation also revealed that Randleas operated a commercial turtle business out of Jacksonville and Biscoe, AR, and offered the illegally taken turtles for sale through his turtle business.
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