Florida man pleads guilty to trafficking thousands of turtles to Hong Kong, Germany

[AZLD4Candidate]

A Florida man, who owns a reptile shop, pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday for trying to illegally export thousands of wild-caught turtles to Hong Kong and Germany, court records show.

John Michael Kreatsoulas, 36, admitted to trafficking turtles and falsifying documents from July 2015 to July 2021, according to court documents filed in the Southern District of Florida.

Kreatsoulas, the owner of Omni Reptiles, Inc. in Alva, Florida, worked with co-conspirators to sell Florida-origin fresh-water turtles — including three striped mud turtles which is a type of Florida mud turtle —through Miami International Airport, court documents show.

https://www.aol.com/florida-man-pleads-guilty-trafficking-193510406.html

Another Florida Man.

[Deuxcents]

1. He was taking these endangered turtles from their habitat which is illegal.

If breeders have special papers and permission, they can sell a limited number from their “farm” but not harvested from the wild. Hefty fines he’s facing, as he should because he knows the law.

[AZLD4Candidate]

2. He should have known, but this is Florida Man, remember?