Man pleads guilty to illegally selling whale, bird parts online
By Russ Reed
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PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — Federal prosecutors say a Maine man has admitted to illegally selling the body parts of animals in violation of the oldest wildlife trafficking law in the United States.
Sergey Bachkovsky, of Greene, pleaded guilty Tuesday to trafficking whale and bird parts in U.S. District Court in Portland, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Court records and statements made during Tuesday’s hearing indicate that between June 2023 and March 2024, Bachkovsky imported wildlife items from Eastern Europe and sold them online to buyers across the United States. Prosecutors said these items included sperm whale and marine mammal teeth, both raw items and scrimshaw art pieces; blue whale and Antarctic minke whale ear bones; and a broad-winged hawk carcass.
Prosecutors said the charging document also includes a notice of forfeiture for animal parts that Bachkovsky intended to sell, including marine mammal teeth, bear teeth, whale vertebrae and feathers and wings from eagles, hawks, owls and vultures.
It is a violation of the Lacey Act to trade in wildlife taken, possessed, transported or sold contrary to another federal or state law.
The sperm whale and blue whale have been protected by the Endangered Species Act since 1973. Prosecutors said the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibit the sale and transportation of whale and migratory bird items without a permit, such as for public display, scientific study or enhancement of species survival.
Bachkovsky faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from his illegal activity. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Prosecutors said Bachkovsky was investigated and charged as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Raw Deal, which targeted the unlawful import and resale of whale teeth and bones.
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