They spent a lot of money.
A Florida man made $125,000 by illegally selling turtles he exported to Germany and Hong Kong.
John Michael Kretzlas, 36, of Aruba, near Fort Myers, was caught transporting wild-caught Florida turtles through Miami International Airport from July 2015 to July 2021. and pleaded guilty.
The owners of Omni Reptiles ship softshell turtles (including three-striped mud turtles and Florida mud turtles) domestically and internationally with false “origin” codes that indicate they are captive-raised rather than wild-caught. was shipped. According to the Department of Justice.
Kreatsoulas’ business is not registered.
Prosecutors said he and his co-conspirators “collected and captured various species of turtles” and “tampered with” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Form 3-177s sent with international shipments.
Forging forms violates the Lacey Act, which prohibits the sale and transportation of animals in violation of state law.
His business exported 100 Mitsuba mud turtles to China in August 2015 and provided China with $4,000 worth of Central American mud turtles the following January.
In May 2016, he forged two 3-177 forms three days apart to transport three Florida mud turtles to Germany, according to the Department of Justice.
In April 2017, he sent a text to a co-conspirator that read: “Overseas customers want $10,000 for 32 pieces. So if I sell domestically, I have to make at least $10…Usually $30 to $1,000 a week…Right now it’s about $30.”Tomorrow it’s 50. There should be at least a few…I’ll keep them. ”
More than a year later, it still wasn’t enough. He finally shipped 197 honeysuckle turtles and 80 Florida mud turtles to China on October 11, 2018.
Subsequently, in 2019, 500 striped turtles were sent to Guangzhou, China, and in May of the same year, 530 reptiles of the same species were sent to Hong Kong.
The agency began investigating him in July after he submitted a series of false documents to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Aruba native obtained a permit from Florida to “maintain and sell ‘captive’ turtles to demonstrate that the turtles were legally obtained,” according to an indictment seen by the Post. It says he tried to cover up the illegal sales by acquiring them in the state.
Investigators found that he and his co-conspirators made approximately $125,000 in profits from the years-long scheme.
Kreatsoulas was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking and nine counts of falsifying records in violation of the Lacey Act.
Mr. Kreatsoulas is scheduled to appear in court again on May 17th for sentencing. He could face up to five years in prison on each charge.
