California Man Charged With Attempting to Export Hundreds of Turtles

A Daly City man was arrested and federally charged Friday after attempting to export hundreds of turtles to Taiwan. Donald Do faces conspiracy and Lacey Act charges, Department of Justice officials said. Federal law requires permits for importing injurious wildlife, and prosecutors allege Do's application contained false statements.

According to the indictment, a co-conspirator claimed Do had hatched and raised 292 loggerhead musk turtles to obtain the permit. Prosecutors say Do instead bought poached turtles from Florida and other states.

Authorities say Do also sought more than 200 turtles from a Louisiana man already facing charges in a separate turtle-trafficking case. When an export attempt failed, Do allegedly told a California co-conspirator he had sold the turtles domestically.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case as part of Operation Southern Hot Herps, an effort to detect and deter turtle poachers in the southeastern United States.

Loggerhead turtles are found worldwide and feed on hard-shelled prey with powerful jaw muscles, according to NOAA. The species is considered endangered in parts of its range and threatened elsewhere, with more than 100,000 nests formed annually in the United States.

Do has pleaded not guilty. A judge scheduled a bond hearing for May 21 and a status conference for July 31. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each charge.