A pair of wildlife smugglers has surrendered on allegations they illegally imported hundreds of taxidermy bird mounts and thousands of eggs into the U.S., Brooklyn federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
John Waldrop, 74, and Toney Jones, 53, have been indicted in the four-year scheme, in which the feds allege the men used sites such as eBay and Etsy to collect the various species of stuffed birds and eggs from all over the world.
In 2020, the men imported three packages of taxidermy birds and eggs through Kennedy Airport, violating smuggling laws and the Endangered Species Act, prosecutors said.
Waldrop, of Georgia, and Jones, of Alabama, were also hit with money laundering charges after sending funds out of the U.S. to bankroll their wildlife smuggling business, they added.
The men will be forced to turn over 779 bird mounts and over $2,500 eggs believed to have been illegally imported into the U.S., officials said.
If convicted, Waldrop and Jones could face up to 25 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine.
Elizabeth Keogh
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