A Florida man is facing a long prison stay after pleading guilty to “illegally exporting thousands of turtles” to other countries, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release obtained by Click Orlando.
John Kreatsoulas, 36, owns the unregistered Florida business Omni Reptiles, which allegedly captured various species of turtles from the wild and shipped them to customers in the U.S. and foreign countries, including Germany and Hong Kong.
Kreatsoulas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic wildlife and nine counts of falsifying records in violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits trafficking in wildlife that was illegally taken.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 17, at which time Kreatsoulas faces up to five years in prison for each count — a maximum total of 50 years.