Violator of Wildlife Protection Law Sentenced Following FWS Investigation
Christopher Cool, age 59, will spend 15 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of violating the Lacey Act in November 2021. U.S. District Judge Robert Wier handed down the sentence earlier this week from the District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Under the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. 53), it is illegal to sell and commercialize wildlife in interstate commerce, if the wildlife was taken, possessed, transported, or sold in a manner that violates the law or regulation of a state, the U.S., or a foreign country.
At Cool's residence, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Office of Law Enforcement found 246 Eastern Box Turtles taken from the wild in Kentucky. Federal prosecutors say that between 2019 and 2020, Cool enlisted friends to help trap for $10 a turtle and sold 669 Eastern Box Turtles to out-of-state buyers for an average of $100.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement considers the illegal collection and commercialization of Eastern Box Turtles a high priority. We will continue to work closely with our State partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute these important cases,” stated Stephen Clark, FWS Special Agent in Charge.
Initially, Pennsylvania and West Virginia wildlife officers alerted FWS agents to Cool's activities after hearing reports from that he was trafficking turtles. While traveling through West Virginia, the wildlife officers reportedly observed Cool with more than 125 Eastern Box Turtles. As Cool admitted to others at the time, he had brought the turtles into Kentucky and received $200 a turtle from out of state buyers.
Federal law requires Cool to serve 85 percent of his sentence in prison. After his release from prison, Cool will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years and must complete 80 hours of community service.