A rare butterfly smuggler in New York faces 20 years of imprisonment, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office (Eastern District of New York).
The latest update about the case against the 75-year-old illegal insect trafficker was provided on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
New York: Rare Butterflies Smuggler Faces 20 Years Imprisonment
According to Fox News' latest report, the New York butterfly smuggler, identified as Charles Limmer, is accused of smuggling more than $200,000 worth of rare butterflies.
Authorities said that the butterfly species he illegally sold are protected by the United States. What Limmer specifically smuggled are butterflies commonly referred to as "birdwings."
This butterfly species is exceptionally large and has angular wings, allowing it to fly like a bird. Limmer allegedly trafficked these rare butterflies on numerous websites, such as eBay and Etsy.
Law enforcement officials said that the smuggler sold the protected insects between October 2022 and September 2023.
Based on prosecutors' explanations, the New York man concealed his smuggling activity by directing his co-conspirators to label the rare butterfly shipments as "decorative wall coverings."
Aside from this, his also accused of faking them as "wall decorations" and "origami paper craft."
Since the federal law restricts commercial imports and exports of wildlife without the consent of USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Limmer is now facing numerous charges and will be imprisoned for 20 years.
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Illegal Butterfly Trafficker Charged With Six-Count Indictment
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York confirmed that Limmer is facing a six-count indictment.
He is charged with conspiracy to smuggle wildlife into and out of the United States, as well as falsely labeling and trafficking in wildlife, which violates the Lacey Act's prohibitions.
The six-count indictment requires Limmer to surrender over 1,000 rare butterflies, as well as moths and other protected insects that he allegedly smuggled.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of NY Breon Peace said that they are thankful for the assistance provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (U.S. CBP) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
However, the case is still running and being handled by the Office's General Crimes Section. You can click this link to learn more about this butterfly smuggling case.
