GeckoJosh
Almost Legendary
What do you mean?it's actually more like 20yrs Goldmember
Man accused of smuggling Aussie lizards
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BigWillieStyles
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Defective
~ Yoda (2008-2020), you loved me more than life!!
the OP...
Published On: -
Source: Nine MSN
A Californian man accused of attempting to smuggle 15 protected Australian lizards to the US by strapping them to his chest has lost a bid to expose the identity of an informant who tipped off US authorities.
Michael Plank, 40, faces up to 20 years' jail in the US if convicted of smuggling the 11 skinks, two geckos and two monitor lizards he allegedly collected in the Australian bush last November.
US authorities allege Plank is the owner of Big Game Reptiles, a Californian company promoting itself as a world leader in the breeding of Australian geckos.
On November 15 last year, two days before Plank boarded a United Airlines flight out of Sydney for Los Angeles, US authorities received "a call from a confidential informant" indicating Plank would be "smuggling lizards", US prosecutors allege.
When Plank's plane landed in LA a Customs officer performed a pat-down search on Plank and allegedly found two money belts containing 15 live lizards strapped to his chest.
Plank's lawyer, Larry Bakman, called on US District Court judge Otis D. Wright to suppress evidence derived from the pat-down search, claiming the search was "unsupported by reasonable suspicion". Mr Bakman also asked for an order disclosing the identity of the informant.
Judge Wright denied both motions, but left open the possibility of compelling the disclosure of the informant's identity if Plank can "present new evidence".
Plank has entered a not guilty plea to the smuggling charge and a jury trial is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles on July 27.
Go to Original Article
Published On: -
Source: Nine MSN
A Californian man accused of attempting to smuggle 15 protected Australian lizards to the US by strapping them to his chest has lost a bid to expose the identity of an informant who tipped off US authorities.
Michael Plank, 40, faces up to 20 years' jail in the US if convicted of smuggling the 11 skinks, two geckos and two monitor lizards he allegedly collected in the Australian bush last November.
US authorities allege Plank is the owner of Big Game Reptiles, a Californian company promoting itself as a world leader in the breeding of Australian geckos.
On November 15 last year, two days before Plank boarded a United Airlines flight out of Sydney for Los Angeles, US authorities received "a call from a confidential informant" indicating Plank would be "smuggling lizards", US prosecutors allege.
When Plank's plane landed in LA a Customs officer performed a pat-down search on Plank and allegedly found two money belts containing 15 live lizards strapped to his chest.
Plank's lawyer, Larry Bakman, called on US District Court judge Otis D. Wright to suppress evidence derived from the pat-down search, claiming the search was "unsupported by reasonable suspicion". Mr Bakman also asked for an order disclosing the identity of the informant.
Judge Wright denied both motions, but left open the possibility of compelling the disclosure of the informant's identity if Plank can "present new evidence".
Plank has entered a not guilty plea to the smuggling charge and a jury trial is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles on July 27.
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discountreptile
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lambert!!
Read the ramsayi thread.
Read the ramsayi thread.
Defective
~ Yoda (2008-2020), you loved me more than life!!
ahh thanks my bad the mouse has decided not to scroll properly :/ ....i need a new keyboard as well! no money
$NaKe PiMp
Very Well-Known Member
ahh thanks my bad the mouse has decided not to scroll properly :/ ....i need a new keyboard as well! no money
need money? well there in need of lizards in america all you need to do is strap them to your body and fly there,
you will make $23,000
lol
Defective
~ Yoda (2008-2020), you loved me more than life!!
ROFLMAO!!! even though the lizards in the US are 1000 times better
GeckoJosh
Almost Legendary
Not from where im sitting!!!
Don't bother buying a return ticket.
Wally
Very Well-Known Member
Me neither.
Lizard Smuggler Gets 15 Months Behind Bars After Being Caught At LAX
(CNS) Updated Wednesday July 6, 2011 – 2:40pm
A Lomita man was sentenced today to 15 months behind bars for attempting to smuggle 15 live lizards from Australia through customs at Los Angeles International Airport by strapping the reptiles to his chest.
Michael J. Plank, 42, the owner and operator of a Lomita company dealing in reptiles, pleaded guilty a year ago in Los Angeles federal court to a charge of smuggling wildlife into the United States.
Plank said he was driven by love of the reptiles rather than the $23,500 he could have earned by selling the prohibited lizards to other collectors.
"Since the first lizard I caught as a child ... I've had an affection for these reptiles," Plank said, adding that his passion for the creatures "has led me to where I am."
Along with the prison term, U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II ordered Plank to pay a $2,000 fine and serve three years under supervised release after he is released from federal custody.
"By doing what he's doing, he may very well be endangering the environment and these animals," Wright said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Plank was returning from Australia in November 2009 when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks stuffed into a money belt he was wearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Mitchell said the skinks were pregnant and seven offspring have subsequently been born.
The confiscated reptiles are at the San Diego Zoo.
All Australian reptiles are strictly regulated, and Plank did not have a permit for the lizards.
In arguing for probation, defense attorney Larry M. Bakman said Plank suffered from an obsessive-compulsive disorder that led to the smuggling attempt and fueled his deeply rooted interest in the reptile trade.
"You have to understand how obsessive these people are ... they're in another category," Bakman said. "They are obsessive-compulsive addicts ... (some) have mortgaged their homes to get in on a project involving albino boas."
Wright rejected the argument for a sentence of home detention, saying he would not allow the defendant to "stay home for a while and watch Oprah."
Wright said Plank made a dozen trips to Australia over three years, ostensibly to "capture these things in the wild' and smuggle the reptiles into the United States.
During an interview with investigators, Plank admitted smuggling lizards twice before using the money belt, according to court papers.[SIZE=+0]
[/SIZE]
(CNS) Updated Wednesday July 6, 2011 – 2:40pm
A Lomita man was sentenced today to 15 months behind bars for attempting to smuggle 15 live lizards from Australia through customs at Los Angeles International Airport by strapping the reptiles to his chest.
Michael J. Plank, 42, the owner and operator of a Lomita company dealing in reptiles, pleaded guilty a year ago in Los Angeles federal court to a charge of smuggling wildlife into the United States.
Plank said he was driven by love of the reptiles rather than the $23,500 he could have earned by selling the prohibited lizards to other collectors.
"Since the first lizard I caught as a child ... I've had an affection for these reptiles," Plank said, adding that his passion for the creatures "has led me to where I am."
Along with the prison term, U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II ordered Plank to pay a $2,000 fine and serve three years under supervised release after he is released from federal custody.
"By doing what he's doing, he may very well be endangering the environment and these animals," Wright said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Plank was returning from Australia in November 2009 when U.S. Customs agents found two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks stuffed into a money belt he was wearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Mitchell said the skinks were pregnant and seven offspring have subsequently been born.
The confiscated reptiles are at the San Diego Zoo.
All Australian reptiles are strictly regulated, and Plank did not have a permit for the lizards.
In arguing for probation, defense attorney Larry M. Bakman said Plank suffered from an obsessive-compulsive disorder that led to the smuggling attempt and fueled his deeply rooted interest in the reptile trade.
"You have to understand how obsessive these people are ... they're in another category," Bakman said. "They are obsessive-compulsive addicts ... (some) have mortgaged their homes to get in on a project involving albino boas."
Wright rejected the argument for a sentence of home detention, saying he would not allow the defendant to "stay home for a while and watch Oprah."
Wright said Plank made a dozen trips to Australia over three years, ostensibly to "capture these things in the wild' and smuggle the reptiles into the United States.
During an interview with investigators, Plank admitted smuggling lizards twice before using the money belt, according to court papers.[SIZE=+0]
[/SIZE]
mad_at_arms
Very Well-Known Member
Least the little guys have ended up at the zoo.
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