American admits smuggling Aussie lizards
A REPTILE salesman has admitted in a Californian court he smuggled 15 live Australian lizards into the US by strapping them to his chest.
Michael Plank, owner of US-based Big Game Reptiles, was stopped by customs agents when he arrived at Los Angeles international airport last November on a United Airlines flight originating in Sydney.
Acting on a tip from a “confidential informant”, a pat-down search on Plank found two money belts strapped to his chest containing two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks worth more than $US8500 ($9400).
Plank, 41, of Lomita, south of Los Angeles, originally entered a not guilty plea to the smuggling charge and last month asked US District Court judge Otis D Wright to throw out the evidence derived from the pat-down search.
Plank also fought to expose the identity of the informant.
When he lost both bids and a jury trial loomed, Plank did an about face and entered a guilty plea to the charge of smuggling wildlife into the US.
Plank will be sentenced October 18 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to $US250,000 ($280,000) in fines.
According to court documents, Plank told US authorities he collected the lizards in the Australian outback.
Plank’s travel records show he made eight trips to Australia in six years, US authorities allege.
By Peter Mitchell in Los Angeles From: AAP July 28, 2010 8:22AM
Sourced from
American admits smuggling Aussie lizards | The Australian
Other snippets of interest in the case (previously reported by AFP Correspondents in Los Angeles (22 December 2009):
•The search revealed 11 skinks, two geckos and two monitor lizards inside two money belts strapped to his chest.
•The lizards were estimated to be worth $US8500 ($AUD9500).
•Court documents alleged Mr Plank admitted to US authorities he was the owner of California-based reptile sales business Big Game Reptiles and
smuggled reptiles from Europe to America previously.
•The Big Game Reptiles website was shut down after Mr Plank’s arrest. The company promoted itself as “a world leader in the breeding of Australian geckos” and offered a variety of lizards for sale, including an adult pair of soft spiny-tailed geckos, common in south-west West Australia, for $US1000 and babies for $US350 each.
