VALDOSTA, Ga. — A south Georgia man is heading to prison for violating federal wildlife trafficking laws.
Ashtyn Michael Rance, 35, pleaded guilty to violation of the Lacey Act and unlawfully owning guns as a convicted felon.
The Valdosta native was sentenced to 33 months in prison, received a $4,300 fine and will serve three years of post-release supervision.
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The U.S. Department of Justice says that in 2018, Rance shipped three eastern box turtles and 16 spotted turtles to a customer in Florida in a box he falsely labeled as tropical fish and common lizards for $3,300. The turtles were going to be trafficked to China.
Both species of turtles can be resold for thousands of dollars each.
Rance also shipped 15 Gaboon vipers to Florida for $900 in a box falsely labeled as harmless reptiles and ball pythons. They were also going to be trafficked to China.
Prosecutors also say that Rance imported 100 Gaboon vipers and other venomous snakes from Africa to Atlanta. He received a permit to takes the snakes out of Georgia, but illegally returned with 16 of them.
The venom from Gaboon vipers can be lethal to humans.
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The possession and sale of the reptiles violated state law, federal prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors also added that he was in violation of the federal Lacey Act, which prohibits transporting wildlife in interstate commerce if the wildlife is illegal under state law. They say that purposely mislabeling the packages are also violations of the Lacey Act.
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Rance also admitted having a Bushmaster Carbine .223 rifle and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in his home, which he was not allowed to have as a convicted felon.
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