Illegal leopard skin import nets local man fine and probation

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Alpharetta, Ga., resident Wayne Taliaferro has been fined $20,000 and put on probation for one year for illegally importing a leopard skin and skull from South Africa.

Taliaferro was convicted of the misdemeanor charges on Feb. 11. The guilty plea required Taliaferro to forfeit the leopard skin and skull to the U.S. government.

Leopards and other species are protected under the Endangered Species Act through an international treaty known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) The United States is one of 163 nations currently party to the CITES treaty.

Federal regulations related to the treaty allow protected species to be legally imported only after certain permits are obtained, only at designated ports of entry and only following inspection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Customs. Taliaferro admitted that on March 21, 2005, he submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service false documents, including a wildlife declaration form and CITES export and import permits, to illegally import the leopard skin and skull into the United States.

"This case reflects our commitment to the protection of the planet's limited wildlife resources," U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias. "We treat seriously violations of federal wildlife laws, and we are especially concerned about violations that involve endangered species."

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