Smuggler busted!

[Primal Rage]

LA Times (http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-78248434/)

What a turd! Good to see the wildlife police nailing bad guys. What's really sad is this guy was a fairly well known herpetologist,breeder and tv personality.

[StudentoReptile]

He probably thought that is why he thought he could get away with it, or if he got caught [which he did] he'll get some leniency. I hope he doesn't because he is kinda a **** anyway.

[wrecker45]

Who was it.

[StudentoReptile]

Donald Shultz

[smy_749]

Old news, this is just an update on the case. Atleast he was smuggling a cool species hahahaha Not that I'm condoning it, but he picked a good one is all :P

[StudentoReptile]

Still makes us look bad.

[concinnusman]

That's like saying illegal prescription drug dealers and addicts make patients who take them legally under a Dr.'s care look bad. Nonsense.

[smy_749]

not sure what his plan was honestly. With species like griseus, the people interested in them are few, and they know the all the owners by name. New specimens dont just pop up and not raise alarms. Plus, you cant transport these even across state lines. I only know 3 people with griseus in the US, and one is just a lone male.

[concinnusman]

Speaking of celebs getting busted, these guys did too recently Discovery Channel star and business partner charged with trafficking in endangered poisonous snakes | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233031/Discovery-Channel-star-business-partner-charged-trafficking-endangered-poisonous-snakes.html)

[smy_749]

speaking of smugglers, tom crutchfield is on the BOI with an interesting story haha

[Primal Rage]

speaking of smugglers, tom crutchfield is on the BOI with an interesting story haha

Wow, the part about the shooting of his business partner/ friend on the farm is absolutely insane! I feel for the Russian guy too. However, it seems like there is more to that story that is not being told. The whole part about all the animals listed as being sold for $30 a piece or something does not sit right with me.

[erichillkeast]

That's like saying illegal prescription drug dealers and addicts make patients who take them legally under a Dr.'s care look bad. Nonsense.

As much as I want to agree with you, there are some drugs that people take for legitimate reasons that people look down on them for taking. Is it right? No. But people do it anyways.

[StudentoReptile]

That's like saying illegal prescription drug dealers and addicts make patients who take them legally under a Dr.'s care look bad. Nonsense.

Ummm, not really. Apples and oranges.

First of all, there's a difference between controlled & illegal substances and the normal over-the-counter & prescription stuff most of us get. The general public knows this. The drug dealer in the bad part of town who got busted for moving 12 kilos of cocaine is not going to reflect badly on everyone who used ibuprofen. Its not the same thing. And the DEA isn't going to crack down on usage of aspirin and children's cough syrup because of a meth lab raid.
---
However, the general public does not distinguish reptiles the same way. Every time something negative hits the media about herps, whether its smuggling, invasive species, wrongful death via escaped pet, etc, it makes the entire community look bad and puts us under the microscope. Maybe it may not result in another restrictive law, but we have to deal with another month of ignorance and bad-mouthing and counter-arguing with education.

Donald Shultz was...IS aware of all this. He knows what we're up against. He also should have known because of his status as a "celebrity" so to speak, his standard was higher than most, and any slip up would by under higher scrutiny. Maybe he thought the rules did not apply to him [most celebrities do]. Who knows? Whatever the reason, I'm at least glad he did not run away like Tom did and he is doing community service and maybe he'll learn. He still think he is a douche for other reasons.