Buffalo, NY – A man from Brooklyn has admitted guilt in federal court for unlawfully exporting hundreds of protected turtles to Hong Kong by camouflaging the live creatures as plastic toys.
Wei Qiang Lin, a Chinese citizen living in Brooklyn, entered his guilty plea on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York for one count of illegal wildlife trafficking, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice. The case, United States v. Lin (25-cr-100), revolves around a plot that smuggled over 850 turtles worth approximately $1.4 million from August 2023 to November 2024.
According to court documents, Lin shipped 222 parcels to Hong Kong, falsely declaring the contents as “plastic animal toys” and other innocuous items. Instead, investigators found that the boxes contained live turtles bound and stuffed into knotted socks, with some boxes also containing venomous snakes.
The unlawful shipments were caught during standard border checks.
Trafficked Species: Eastern and Three-Toed Box Turtles
Lin mainly dealt in eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles, which are both indigenous to the United States and safeguarded by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These species are in high demand in global pet markets, especially in China and Hong Kong, because of their unique and vibrant patterns.
“This case underscores the ongoing threat to native wildlife from international trafficking,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD).
The international trade of wild box turtles faced strict limitations under CITES following the illegal export of tens of thousands during the 1990s.
Lin could face a maximum of five years in prison, along with three years of supervised release, and a potential fine of up to $250,000 or double the worth of the smuggled wildlife. As part of his plea deal, Lin has consented to relinquish any claims of ownership over the reptiles that were confiscated during the investigation.
He is set to be sentenced on December 23, 2025.
