BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a Georgia man to pay a $900,000 fine and serve three years of probation for trafficking thousands of protected birds and eggs into the United States, in what officials are calling one of the largest bird trafficking cases in U.S. history.
The case was filed in New York as the specimens were trafficked through John F. Kennedy Airport.
Key Points
- Dr. John Waldrop was fined $900,000 and sentenced to three years’ probation for smuggling protected wildlife.
- Waldrop’s collection included 1,401 mounted birds and 2,594 eggs, many covered under multiple conservation treaties and laws.
- Co-defendant Toney Jones received six months of probation after pleading guilty to a lesser charge.
Illegal specimens included bald eagles and ultra-rare bird eggs
Dr. John Waldrop of Cataula, Georgia, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to smuggle wildlife and violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Authorities say Waldrop’s private collection contained an estimated 1,401 bird mounts and 2,594 eggs, including protected species from across the globe.
Between 2016 and 2020, Waldrop imported birds and eggs without the required declarations and permits. After USFWS inspectors at John F. Kennedy International Airport and elsewhere intercepted several shipments, Waldrop recruited Jones, who worked on his Georgia farm, to receive the packages. Jones also deposited approximately $525,000 in a bank account that Waldrop then used to pay for the imports and hide his involvement. Waldrop and Jones used online sales sites such as eBay and Etsy to buy birds and eggs from around the world, including Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.
Among the specimens were four eagles covered by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, 179 bird and 193 egg species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and 212 bird and 32 egg species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Rare items included three eggs of the Nordmann’s Greenshank, a critically threatened Asian bird with fewer than 1,600 known individuals in the wild.
Prosecutors cite intentional smuggling and permit evasion
Prosecutors stated that Waldrop avoided required permits and declaration protocols while working with others to import wildlife illegally. “Waldrop’s gigantic and rare bird collection was bolstered in part by illegal imports,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Toney Jones of Eufala, Alabama, also pleaded guilty to an ESA violation and was sentenced to six months of probation.
Largest bird trafficking case on record, officials say
“This is one of the largest bird trafficking cases in history,” said Assistant Director Douglas Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “The commercialization of species protected under… CITES highlights the conservation impact of Waldrop’s crimes.”
Law enforcement officials emphasized the environmental toll of such trafficking, especially when it involves rare or endangered wildlife. The $900,000 penalty is among the highest imposed for an ESA-related offense in federal court.
Authorities said the case demonstrates the scope and damage of illicit wildlife trade in protected species.