California man accused of plotting to export hundreds of wild turtles from Florida to Asia
A California man is facing federal charges for his alleged role in a plot to illegally export hundreds of protected turtles to Asia, prosecutors said.
The Department of Justice announced Friday that Donald Do of Daly City was arrested on federal wildlife trafficking charges. Do has been charged with conspiracy and violations of the Lacey Act, a federal law that prohibits the trade of illegally sourced wildlife.
According to the indictment, Do and an unnamed accomplice in California attempted to export 292 loggerhead musk turtles to Taiwan between Dec. 2022 and May 2024. Prosecutors said the co-conspirator obtained an export permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service based on a false claim by Do that he hatched and raised the turtles, when in fact he had not.
After obtaining the export permit, Do allegedly bought wild musk turtles poached from Florida and elsewhere and tried to obtain more.
"Do told sellers he was willing to take 'wild caught' and sent instructions to ship turtles to San Francisco," the DOJ said in a statement.
Prosecutors said Do and the co-conspirator also attempted to obtain more than 200 turtles from Albert Bazaar, a Louisiana man who was detained last week for alleged turtle trafficking.
Bazaar was also charged with conspiracy and Lacey act violations, for allegedly poaching and selling more than 1,700 loggerhead musk turtles, 100 stripe-neck musk turtles and 15 striped musk turtles from their habitats in Florida, according to the indictment against him.
After Do was unsuccessful in exporting the turtles, prosecutors said he tried to conceal his role by lying to his co-conspirator that he had sold the turtles to other domestic buyers.
According to prosecutors, loggerhead musk turtles were added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species list of protected species in 2022.
If convicted, Do faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the conspiracy and Lacey Act charges.
A status conference on Do's case is scheduled for July 31.
