Misdemeanor plea for our client charged in Atlanta for helping import leopard skin
Yesterday, we were able to successfully resolve a federal criminal case for our client in Atlanta. He had initially been threatened with prosecution for false statements and violations of federal law governing the importation of endangered species for his involvement in assisting a Texas hunter and South African safari operator get a leopard skin into the United States.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported the case, based on a press release issued by the United States Attorney's Office in Atlanta.
Although our client was facing the possibility of being charged with more serious offenses (felony charges with possible prison time), we were able to resolve the case for a plea to a misdemeanor, 12 months of probation and a fine. Read the misdemeanor sentence here
Although Endangered Species Act cases are not a large part of our practice, federal law enforcement agents from the Fish and Wildlife Service expect the number of these cases to increase in Atlanta.
Because there are very few Atlanta criminal defense lawyers experienced in fish and wildlife prosecutions, we will follow these cases and watch for any developments in the law.
