12 charged with selling endangered animals

Authorities have filed criminal cases against a dozen people, including a Garden Grove man, for illegally selling endangered species and other wildlife online, including fish, birds and exotic animal pelts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The wildlife sold is protected by federal and state law.

The charges stem from a task force investigation that began in July during which federal agents and state game wardens recovered live endangered fish, protected migratory birds, an elephant foot, and pelts from a tiger, a polar bear, a leopard and a bear, a news release said.

The 12 defendants charged in federal and state court each offered for sale animals or animal parts, prosecutors said. The defendants face various charges, including violating the federal Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Lacey Act and various state wildlife laws.

The nine federal cases allege misdemeanor violations that carry maximum statutory penalties of either one year or six months in federal prison. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office also last month filed three other cases in which the defendants each face two misdemeanor charges.

Henry Dao, 41, of Garden Grove, charged in the federal suit, allegedly sold two live Red-whiskered Bulbul birds for $1,750 after offering the "injurious species" for sale on a website used to trade and sell "softbills," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Authorities say the investigation called "Operation Cyberwild" focused on online ads placed by sellers in Southern California and Southern Nevada.

George Lovell, 49, of Las Vegas, was arrested Friday and charged with selling on Craigslist boots made out of threatened Loggerhead sea turtles for $1,000.

Dao's status and that of the others was not immediately known.

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