CONCORD, N.H. - United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice, announced that Jeremiah S. Loui pleaded guilty in federal court to a misdemeanor charge of illegally possessing and selling a bird of prey protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Loui, thirty-one years old, lives in Dover, N.H.
According to court documents and statements made during today’s hearing, Loui sold a taxidermied Accipiter gentilis, commonly known as a Northern Goshawk, on the internet. He also sold or possessed fourteen other taxidermied birds of prey protected under either the MBTA or a similar wildlife statute, the Wild Bird Conservation Act. Loui made false statements to a law enforcement officer investigating his offenses.
Birds of prey, including the Northern Goshawk, play an important role in ecosystems here in the United States and across the globe. "This investigation demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and bring to justice those who exploit protected resources for personal gain" said Honora Gordon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
United States Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone accepted Loui’s guilty plea and scheduled his sentencing for May 9, 2017. He is subject to a statutory maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000 or both. As part of his plea agreement, Loui agreed to forfeit any interest he has in any of the fifteen protected birds.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with valuable support from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bill Morse.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
