Florida Man Gets Prison For Illegally Shipping Turtles And Snakes

Miami FL

28 February, 2022

10:11 PM

Description

CBS Miami February 28, 2022 A Florida man who admitted that he illegally shipped turtles and venomous snakes from his home in south Georgia has been sentenced to serve nearly three years in prison. Ashtyn Michael Rance, 35, of Miami pleaded guilty in November to one count of wildlife trafficking and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced last week to serve two years and nine months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, prosecutors said in a news release. He was also ordered to pay a $4,300 fine. Rance accepted $3,300 to ship three eastern box turtles and 16 spotted turtles from his home in Valdosta to a customer in Florida, knowing that they would ultimately be shipped to China, prosecutors said. He shipped the 19 turtles in February 2018 in a box labeled as containing tropical fish and common lizards. CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.