An Oregon man admitted he illegally imported and exported hundreds of live scorpions with contacts in Germany, in one case falsely labeling the package as “chocolates”.
39-year-old Darren Dennis Drake of Eugene, Oregon waived indictment in court in Medford for his crime in international trade. He also pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to commit Lacey Act violations.
According to court documents, Drake imported and exported dozens of live scorpions from and to contacts in Germany from September 4, 2017 to March 21, 2018, without acquiring an import-export license from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) first.
Violating federal mailing laws, he was also reported to have mailed and received several hundred live scorpions from other U.S. states, including Michigan and Texas.
Drake faces a maximum prison sentence of one year, a $100,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. His sentence will be on June 22, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Ann L. Aiken.
Image credit: KVAL