Page 8 - 2020 May/June Outdoor Oklahoma

Game Warden’s Journal

ACCOUNTS FROM THE FIELD BY THE PUBLIC
SERVANTS WHO ENFORCE THE FISH AND
WILDLIFE LAWS OF OKLAHOMA

GAME WARDENS KEY IN TURTLE SMUGGLING CASE

A New Jersey man was sentenced in federal crimes, it gives us a precedent case that allows
court in Tulsa after pleading guilty for con- us to better protect these resources for genera-
spiring with others to purchase, transport and tions to come. In addition, the court-ordered
sell more than 1,000 box turtles unlawfully restitution funds will go toward vital conserva-
collected in Oklahoma, U.S. Attorney Trent tion programs that will mitigate damage caused
Shores said. by poaching and wildlife smuggling.”
Two Oklahoma Game Wardens, Carlos The investigation began with a phone call
Gomez and Karlin Bailey, were key players from a concerned citizen.
in the months-long investigation involving the A Mannford, Okla., hotel housekeeper
Oklahoma Department of Conservation and entered a room after being told for a week not
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. to clean it and discovered a large number of
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern turtles. Her phone call to authorities eventually
District of Oklahoma was able to secure the Carlos Gomez led to taking down one of the biggest wildlife
federal conviction 16 months later. smuggling operations in the United States.
Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell From May 1, 2017, to May 31, 2018, Gangemi
ordered William T. Gangemi, 27, of Freehold, knowingly facilitated the purchase and trans-
N.J., to pay $250,000 in restitution to the Okla- port of unlawfully collected three-toed and plains
homa Wildlife Department and a $100,000 fine (ornate) box turtles from Oklahoma to New Jer-
to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and also sey in order to sell them for profit. In Oklahoma,
put him on two years of probation. the collection of both types of box turtles for
Nathan Erdman, Chief of Law Enforcement for commercial purposes is against the law.
the Wildlife Department, said this case required By smuggling the turtles, Gangemi violated
assistance from officers across the nation. “First, the Lacey Act, a federal law that makes it a felo-
Game Wardens Bailey and Gomez did an out- ny to engage in the sale or purchase of protected
standing job with this investigation. This is a wildlife. Box turtles reach sexual maturity at
prime example of how a simple phone call from a Karlin Bailey about 10 years old and have a high nest and
concerned citizen can lead to large cases and convictions. juvenile mortality rate. Due to these factors, turtle harvest can
“I would like to thank the USFWS for their assistance with have highly detrimental effects on populations.
this case, and also I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Shores said Gangemi was part of a syndicate of wild-
Office, Northern District of Oklahoma, for the prosecution.” life smugglers that exchanged turtles between the United
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Amy Leud- States and China. “I can’t say that I ever expected we’d be
ers said, “It’s been an honor for us to work with the Oklahoma announcing a turtle smuggling prosecution, but I’ve learned
Department of Wildlife Conservation and the U.S. Attorney’s just how prevalent this criminal enterprise is globally and
Office in bringing this case to justice, and for sending a message the detrimental impact it has on our wildlife population in
that crimes against wildlife will not be tolerated. Unfortunate- Oklahoma, not just today but for future generations. I’m
ly, every day, crimes are committed against wildlife. But when- proud of this case and the result it achieved to better protect
ever a wildlife poacher or trafficker is held accountable for their Oklahoma wildlife.”

6 Off the Beaten Path