Brooklyn Trader Admits Wildlife Crime That Netted a Million-Dollar Shell Game
Wei Qiang Lin, a 41-year-old resident of Brooklyn, New York, now faces as much as five years behind bars after confessing to orchestrating one of the largest illegal reptile-export schemes in recent U.S. history.
Over a span of months, investigators say, Lin shipped more than 850 protected box turtles—masked under the innocuous label “plastic animal toys”—from a modest apartment address to eager buyers in Hong Kong.
What Was Smuggled and How
- Species involved: Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) and three-toed box turtles (Terrapene triunguis)
- Shipment volume: 220+ parcels totaling roughly 850 live reptiles
- Market value: Approximately $1.4 million on the black market in East Asia
- Packing method: Each live turtle was coiled inside a knotted sock, then duct-taped and wedged inside shipping cartons
- Transit duration: Several weeks of air and sea travel to reach Hong Kong, during which the animals had no food or water
The Moment Authorities Closed In
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents noticed irregular x-ray patterns while screening a routine cargo load flagged for secondary inspection. Upon prying open several cartons allegedly stuffed with plastic playthings, officers uncovered the bound and motionless reptiles.
Ongoing Threat to Endangered Populations
Both eastern and three-toed box turtles are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Prosecutors emphasized that demand in Asian pet markets—where color-patterned adults can sell for more than $2,500 apiece—continues to decimate U.S. populations already struggling from habitat loss and roadway mortality.
Next Steps
- Sentencing: Scheduled later this year; prosecutors will seek the maximum five-year term.
- Restitution: Lin may be ordered to pay into special federal funds for turtle habitat restoration.
- International cooperation: Hong Kong customs officials have opened a parallel investigation into receivers on the other end of the supply chain.
Chinese Citizen Could Spend Five Christmases Behind Bars for Million-Dollar Turtle Trafficking Scheme
A Shenzhen resident has learned the hard way that painted shells are worth more trouble than treasure. Federal prosecutors say the 34-year-old, identified in court papers only as Mr. Lin, tried to spirit hundreds of eye-catching eastern box turtles and three-toed box turtles—collectively appraised above $1 million—from American soil to Hong Kong via overnight parcels. The scheme unraveled after a routine X-ray at a Memphis sorting hub revealed carapaces where documents claimed “decorative pottery.”
Demand Driven by Fashionable Pet Fad
Both species owe their popularity to dazzling, mosaic-like shells that light up private terrariums and social-media feeds.
“They are prized centerpieces in domestic and foreign pet markets, especially in China and Hong Kong,”
the Justice Department explained in a terse statement.
13 Shipments, 11 Packed with Cold-Blooded Cargo
Agents tallying the evidence say they’ve tied Lin to thirteen total shipments. Eleven contained an ark of reptiles:
All creatures are shielded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), turning what once read like an inventory list into itemized crime counts.
December Court Date Brings Harsh Numbers
Judge Sheryl Lipman has set sentencing for December 23, just two days before Christmas. The potential stocking-stuffers the court may hand down include:
• Up to 5 years behind bars
• 3 years of court-monitored supervision after release
• Financial penalty of $250,000
A Sister Case Across a Quiet Lake
The latest case mirrors one last fall when another Chinese national, traveling by kayak across misty Lake Champlain, tried paddling 29 eastern box turtles into Canada. She pleaded guilty and received a six-month lock-up—an outcome now serving as a baseline for prosecutors pressing for stiffer punishment.
