FL Reptile Dealer Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Vipers: DOJ

Miami FL

22 November, 2021

12:07 PM

Description

VALDOSTA, GA — A Florida reptile dealer pleaded guilty to shipping venomous snakes and collectible turtles from his residence in Valdosta, Georgia as part of "Operation Middleman," a multi-agency investigation focusing on the trafficking of reptiles from the United States to China. Ashtyn Michael Rance, 35, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count Lacey Act Trafficking and one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Hugh Lawson Thursday, according to a Department of Justice news release. Under the Lacey Act and illegal possession of a firearm charges, Rance faces a maximum sentence of five years and 10 years imprisonment, respectively, and a $250,000 fine for each charge. He will be sentenced Feb. 23 in Valdosta. According to court documents, Rance agreed to ship three eastern box turtles and 16 spotted turtles to a customer in Florida from his Valdosta residence, knowing that the final destination was China. He received a $3,300 payment for the 19 turtles, shipping them Feb. 22, 2018 — knowing it was illegal to do so — in a box labeled "Live Tropical Fish," the DOJ said. On May 10, 2018, Rance shipped 15 Gaboon vipers, which are venomous snakes, to Florida from Valdosta knowing they would ultimately be shipped to China. He placed a label on the box that said it contained harmless reptiles and ball pythons, the DOJ said. The next day, May 11, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rance's Valdosta home, where they recovered a Bushmaster Carbine .223 caliber rifle and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun. It is illegal for Rance, a convicted felon, to possess a firearm, the DOJ said. The federal Lacey Act is the nation's oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, transporting wildlife in interstate commerce if the wildlife was illegal under state laws. It also is a Lacey Act violation to falsely label a package containing wildlife. Rance acknowledged that he possessed and sold the reptiles in violation of Georgia laws. The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) is a semi-aquatic turtle native to the eastern United States and Great Lakes region, the DOJ said. The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is endemic to forested regions of the East Coast and Midwest. Collectors prize both species in the domestic and foreign pet trade market. The Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) is native to central Sub-Saharan Africa. Its venom can cause shock, loss of consciousness or death in humans.