Subject: 2 Case Studies-Wildlife Law Lawbreakers

From: Gregory <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 1996 22:57:09 -0500

There are two items in the current Ornithological Newsletter  (published
jointly by the four national ornithology societies in the U.S.) that might
be of interest to those of you interested in wildlife-related laws and case
studies detailing the application of such laws.

1. "Tony Silva, 36, an internationally prominent Chicago (Ilinois)-area
writer and lecturer on the plight of endangered parrots in the wild, pleaded
guilty 30 Jan. to conspiracy to violate federal wildlife and customs laws
and filing a false income tax return. Silva admitted his role in a
far-reaching conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and U.S. Customs
requirements between 1986 and 1991 by smuggling or attempting to smuggle
various highly protected species of birds trapped in the wild in South
America, including a substantial number of Hyacinth Macaws, into the United
States. Silva faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five and three years
on the conspiracy and tax charges, respectively, and a maximum fine of
$250,000 on each count, or, alternatively, a fine totaling not more than
twice the defendant's gross gain, or twice the gross loss to any victim,
whichever is greater."

2. "Convicted egg smugglers William Arthur  Wegner and Brian T. Bradley were
sentenced in December 1995 to 60 and 41 months in prison, respectively, for
running a scheme that smuggled more than $1 million in protected cockatoo
eggs into the USA from Australia. Wegner was also found guilty of committing
perjury at the trial of a co-defendant last summer, and must pay a $10,000
fine. The American Ornithologists' Union and the Ornithological Council
wrote letters asking for harsh sentencing."

Alan Gregory
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Gregory                                 "We stand for what we stand on."
Penn State Hazleton                    - Edward Abbey
717-450-3188

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