An Alabama man, Toney Jones, pleaded guilty in New York City to importing a stuffed protected bird of prey without notifying the U.S. Department of the Interior. His boss, Dr. John Waldrop of Georgia, also pleaded guilty to related charges. They were accused of using online sales sites to buy birds and eggs from around the world, including endangered species. Prosecutors said they imported and collected a variety of protected birds. The pair were charged with smuggling, Endangered Species Act violations, and money laundering. They were alleged to have imported packages containing birds and eggs in violation of smuggling and ESA laws. The packages included a Levant sparrowhawk, a grasshopper buzzard-hawk, gull eggs, murre eggs, and an unidentified bird egg. Prosecutors claimed that Waldrop and Jones also conspired to commit money laundering to finance their bird smuggling activities. The Levant sparrowhawk is an endangered species native to several countries in Europe and Africa. Both men face multiple federal counts for their actions. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Endangered Species estimates the adult population of the Levant sparrowhawk to be between 10,000 to 20,000. Jones and Waldrop’s guilty pleas signal a step towards accountability for their illegal activities involving protected birds and eggs.
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Photo credit www.al.com
