A Florida man living in Miami pleaded guilty to one count of wildlife trafficking and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
35-year-old Ashtyn Michael Rance admitted that he knowingly and illegally shipped turtles and dangerous venomous snakes from his home in Georgia. Rance has been sentenced to serve nearly three years in prison for his crimes.
According to prosecutors, last year, Rance accepted $3,300 to ship 3 eastern box turtles and 16 spotted turtles from his home in Valdosta, Georgia to a customer in Florida, knowing that the customer was planning to ship the reptiles to China.
This was nowhere near his first offense, as in February 2018, he shipped 19 turtles in a box labeled as containing tropical fish and common lizards Months later, in May 2018, he agreed to send a package of 15 Gaboon vipers from Valdosta to Florida. The box was labeled saying it contained harmless reptiles and ball pythons, however, it contained highly venomous snakes worth approximately $900, and prosecutors said Rance was aware that China was the ultimate destination for the snakes.
Rance was also ordered to pay a $4,300 fine.
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