Murrieta Jaguar Cub Trafficking Case Finally Closes Years After The Fact

MURRIETA, CA — The woman who sold an endangered jaguar cub to a Riverside County man was sentenced this week to six months of probation and $30,000 restitution, the amount a San Diego County rescue has spent on the growing animal, according to federal prosecutors.

In 2021, Trisha Denise Meyer, now 43, sold the endangered jaguar cub for $30,000 to a Riverside County man, who in turn re-sold it before it was ultimately abandoned outside an animal rescue center, surrendered to authorities Tuesday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Riverside County resident Abdul "Manny" Rahman, 34, of Murrieta, was initially charged with interstate transportation of an endangered species in the course of commercial activity, trafficking prohibited wildlife species and trafficking endangered species. He received probation and a fine, according to previous reports.

The criminal charges against Meyer and Rahman allege violations of the Endangered Species Act, which protects jaguars, and the Lacey Act, which prohibits the trafficking of wildlife.

According to the original indictment, Meyer sold the live jaguar cub to Rahman in the spring of 2021, and the cub traveled state lines to get from Texas to California. Prior to the sale, she allegedly posted photos and videos on Instagram showing herself with the cub, prosecutors said.

Federal prosecutors said Meyer sold the cub for about $30,000, and it was transported — for an additional $1,000 fee — from Texas to California.

The ownership of jaguars is illegal in California, though it is legal in Texas. Selling a jaguar across state lines is a crime, according to the statement.

Rahman kept the jaguar for one to two months before selling it for $20,000 to another buyer, identified in court documents as H.G.

According to prosecutors, H.G. was living with his pregnant wife or girlfriend. After someone expressed concern about the jaguar being in the same home as a child, H.G. decided to have the animal taken to a rescue center, prosecutors said.

The person who expressed concerns about the jaguar — identified in court documents as R.A. — later told law enforcement that he and his roommate put the jaguar in a large dog kennel and drove it to an animal rescue center in Alpine in San Diego County.
They dropped off the jaguar at the facility's entrance on Sept. 17, 2021, at around 9:50 p.m., but they were captured on security cameras and law enforcement was notified.

The cub still lives in Alpine, east of San Diego, according to Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office. The sanctuary, Lions, Tigers & Bears, has spent $30,000 on the animal, the foundation of the restitution amount. He goes by the name of Eddie.

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