The following was leteralled to me by the kind people at HerpDigest.com

NEWSDAY (Melville, New York) 06 July 05 Missing turtles no shell game (Cynthia Daniels)
It started with one turtle and has transformed into a reptile-snatching outbreak.
Fifteen turtles have been taken from Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery's turtle pond, said director Norm Soule. The turtles are featured in education programs at the hatchery.
Included in the missing: one male box turtle, the only one of its kind in the pond; two Blanding's turtles, listed on the state's threatened species list; three wood turtles; five common map turtles; and one Eastern Spiny Soft Shell turtle.
"I want those turtles back," Soule said Wednesday. "We're not here to provide pets for people, we're here to educate."
Many of the missing reptiles are more than 20 years old, Soule said. Together, they are worth more than $1,000.
The reptiles were last seen in their home: a turtle pond with neighboring sand pit.
In May, Jeanne Lynch, the hatchery's environmental educator, noticed the male box turtle was missing. Then, a female box turtle was gone. An inventory a week later revealed the total loss.
Nassau County Police Det. Sgt. Steven Pastor, of the Second Squad, said detectives have scoured the Internet, pet shops and even classified ads searching for the turtles but "all the leads in this case have been exhausted."
The state Department of Environmental Conservation's investigation is ongoing, said spokeswoman Gabrielle Done. Done said "the penalty for such violations could include up to 15 days in jail and up to $250 for the possession of each turtle." Pastor said anyone caught with the turtles would face charges of petty larceny, a misdemeanor.
For many, the thefts bring back memories of Junior, an 82-year-old common snapping turtle stolen from the hatchery in 1998. He was found in a green tub outside Cold Spring Harbor High School, but died a month after his return.
The reptile, now stuffed, sits in a glass case as an example, Lynch said of what happens when "people take in pets and don't know the requirements."
"I worry that the ones that were taken will not be in good homes," she said. "You get attached to some of them."
Anyone with information on the thefts can call 800-244-TIPS.
Missing turtles no shell game