Sherman Oaks Woman Among 12 Charged in Online Sales of Endangered Species

A Sherman Oaks woman is among a dozen people facing federal charges for allegedly using Internet sites to illegally sell endangered species and other protected wildlife, prosecutors announced Friday.

During the investigation, dubbed Operation Cyberwild, 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, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The probe was announced following the arrest of a Las Vegas man charged with selling boots made out of threatened sea turtles, prosecutors said.

Beginning in July 2011, agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and game wardens with the California Department of Fish and Game focused on Internet advertisements placed by sellers in Southern California and Southern Nevada, officials said.

As a result, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles filed charges against nine defendants, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged three defendants.

"We made our first undercover purchase within 24 hours of beginning the operation,'' said Erin Dean, resident agent in charge of the FWS in Torrance.

"We hope that this operation will send a message to individuals selling, or even considering selling, protected wildlife that we are watching and that we take these offenses seriously.''

The 12 defendants charged each allegedly offered for sale animals or animal parts. The defendants are variously charged with violating the federal Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Lacey Act and various state wildlife laws, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Our ecosystem is complex and precious,'' U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. said. "Unfortunately, this delicate system continues to face serious threats, including poaching, the introduction of non-native species and the illegal sale of endangered species. The sale of endangered animals on the Internet has reached an alarming level, with as much as two-thirds of such sales taking place in the United States.''

Those defendants facing federal charges are:

–Karla Trejo, 42, of Sherman Oaks, who is charged with selling a live Western Scrub-Jay for $185 after posting an ad on Craigslist.

–Henry Dao, 41, of Garden Grove, who 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.''

–Kamipeli Piuleini, 35, of Torrance, who allegedly sold a Hawksbill sea turtle shell that had been listed on eBay.

–Lisa Naumu, 49, of San Diego, who allegedly sold an $8,000 leopard skin coat after placing an ad on Craigslist that offered three of such coats for sale.

–Dan Tram "Majkah'' Huynh, 30, of San Diego, who allegedly sold an Asian arowana to an undercover agent for $2,500 after offering the fish for sale on Craigslist.

–Alex Madar, 27, of San Diego, who allegedly sold sea turtle leather shoes for $250 after posting the items for sale on Craigslist.

–Tyler Homesley, 24, of Ramona, who allegedly offered to sell three birds, including two protected migratory birds, a Eurasian kestrel and a Black-shouldered Kite, for $150 after placing an online advertisement (plus a $25 delivery fee for total price of $175).

–George Lovell, 49, of Las Vegas, who allegedly sold a pair of Loggerhead sea turtle leather boots for $1,000 after offering them for sale on Craigslist.

–Victor Northrop, 48, of Henderson, Nev., who allegedly accepted $10,000 for a rug made out of an endangered tiger after offering the item for sale on Craigslist for $12,500.

All of the federal cases allege misdemeanor violations that carry maximum penalties of either one year or six months in federal prison. Those facing misdemeanor charges in state court are: Alfredo Vazquez, 50, of Montebello, who allegedly sold to undercover operatives an elephant's foot, a mounted hawk and a mounted owl; James I. Colburn, 66, of Leona Valley, who allegedly sold a bear skin rug; and Blake William Diekman, 27, of South Pasadena, who allegedly sold a live piranha.

The Operation Cyberwild task force was assisted by five volunteers from the Humane Society of United States, who searched the Internet for suspicious items and referred the listings to investigators.

—City News Service