Leaping lizards, new jersey man sentenced for illegally shipping reptiles to hong kong
Green iguana also known as the American iguana is a lizard reptile in the genus Iguana in the iguana family. And in the subfamily Iguanidae

Leaping Lizards, New Jersey man sentenced for illegally shipping reptiles to Hong Kong

Posted by
1 min read
January 26, 2022

TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey man who illegally tried to send 10 live lizards to Hong Kong has been sentenced to three years of probation, including with six months of home confinement.

Jason Ksepka, 44, of Farmingdale, had pleaded guilty last September to falsely labeling an international shipment of wildlife from Lambertville in November 2017, according to federal prosecutors. He was sentenced Tuesday

Ksepka was paid $500 by someone else to send the package containing 10 live rhinoceros iguanas, prosecutors said. He falsely labeled the contents of the package as toys and used a fictitious name as the sender.

The package was destined for Hong Kong, but U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors intercepted it at New York’s JFK Airport and removed the animals.

One year prior to the shipment, prosecutors said the same individual had paid Ksepka $500 to ship 10 additional rhinoceros iguanas to Hong Kong. (AP)

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Facebook

Breaking News

Don't Miss

Exit mobile version