A pair of wildlife smugglers have pleaded guilty to violating the Endangered Species Act by illegally importing hundreds of taxidermy bird mounts and thousands of eggs into the U.S. through JFK Airport.
John Waldrop, 74, and Toney Jones, 53, were indicted back in November, and this week both men appeared in Brooklyn Federal Court and took plea deals admitting their roles in the four-year scheme.
The feds said the duo used sites like as eBay and Etsy to collect various species of stuffed birds and eggs from all over the world.
They imported a variety of stuffed birds including herons, a Muscovy duck, and an Elenora’s falcon from Italy, a great gray owl and a Boreal owl from Russia, and several other species from around the world, according to the feds.
The smuggling operation ran from 2016 to 2020, and prosecutors were seeking the forfeiture of 779 bird mounts and 2,594 eggs when they were arrested.
Waldrop, of Georgia, pleaded guilty Monday to violating the Endangered Species Act and conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United states, and could get 37 to 46 months in prison based on federal sentencing guidelines.
Jones, of Alabama, pleaded guilty Tuesday to the Endangered Species Act charge, which is a misdemeanor, and faces zero to six months behind bars.
They’re slated to be sentenced by Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Rachel Kovner on Nov. 14.
