Pacifica Man Goes To Federal Prison For Trafficking Endangered Species On The Web

LIONS, TIGERS & BEARS, OH MY! Stuffed and sold on Craigslist.

 

SAN FRANCISCO – James Dickson was sentenced yesterday to six months in prison and ordered to pay $2,200 in restitution to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, as a result of his participation in the illegal trade of protected wildlife, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.  Dickson was also ordered to forfeit numerous taxidermy mounts of wildlife worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Dickson, 57, of Pacifica, Calif., pleaded guilty on April 12, 2011, to knowingly selling numerous endangered and otherwise protected species on the Internet for tens of thousands of dollars – including a juvenile bald eagle that he sold to an undercover agent for $2,200.  Other protected big game animals that Dickson illegally sold or offered to sell on Craigslist included taxidermy mounts of a Siberian tiger for $15,000, a polar bear for $6,500, a kodiak bear for $14,000, a black bear for $3,800, the summer coat of a grizzly bear for $4,500, the shoulder mount of a grizzly bear for $2,500, a cheetah rug for $900, and a black panther for $4,500.  Dickson admitted both in the plea agreement and during the undercover operation that he knew it was illegal to sell these protected wildlife and that he could face jail time if caught. Read More at www.justice.gov

Species Included Endangered Big Cats, Bears And Other Protected Species

Tags: Craigslist, Endangered species, Taxidermy