TRIBUNE REVIEW (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 22 February 06 Turtle purchase draws scheme out of shell (Jason Cato)
More tortoise than hare, a Greensburg man showed up late Tuesday to plead guilty in federal court to his role in a turtle-smuggling operation.
John Pen Tokosh, 44, who sold two Indian star tortoises to an undercover agent via the Internet, admitted to one count of trafficking in illegally transported wildlife.
In August and September 2002, Tokosh worked with a Florida man to smuggle the tortoises into the U.S. from Singapore.
The Floridian, Chris Hunter, already was being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and agreed to cooperate with authorities to help nab others illegally trafficking wildlife. That's how authorities discovered Tokosh, said wildlife Special Agent Bill Anderson. Hunter's cooperation also led to others seeking and receiving smuggled wildlife.
Tokosh also was charged in connection with two other shipments of Indian and Burmese star tortoises, but those charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
"These things are being imported all around the country," Anderson said. "It's not just here."
Illegal wildlife smuggling is estimated to be a $5 billion-a-year industry, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. It generates more profit than illegal arms sales and is second only to the international drug trade.
Indian and Burmese star tortoises are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. While neither species is necessarily threatened with extinction, they might become threatened if trade in them is not strictly regulated.
Tokosh and Hunter exchanged e-mails discussing the deal and then gloating once the animals made it into the country, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Dembosky. The tortoises had been concealed in a package labeled as Star Wars figures.
"Tokosh joked that Hunter should be called Darth Hunter," Dembosky said of one e-mail.
In exchange for the Indian star tortoises, Tokosh sent Hunter five spotted turtles, Dembosky said.
An Indian star tortoise, which gets its name from the radiating star pattern on its shell, sells for between $800 and $1,000, Anderson said. Tokosh sold both to an undercover wildlife agent for $950 at www.KingSnake.com.
Tokosh faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced June 2 by U.S. District Judge Thomas Hardiman, but likely will be sentenced to between 6 and 18 months.
Turtle purchase draws scheme out of shell

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