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Recently, a Georgia man was prosecuted for stealing endangered turtle eggs from the beach. Lewis Jackson is a secondary offender that has been convicted for stealing the same kind of turtle eggs in the past.
Unfortunately, the black market surrounding wildlife is popular. Criminals are caught vandalizing the natural wonders of our world for a large black-market payday. According to Georgia DNR’s Law Enforcement Division, these turtle eggs can sell for as much as $25 per egg. Many of these criminal activities are difficult to track, but the arrest of Jackson signals that there is hope for our wildlife.
The 61 year old was harvesting loggerhead sea turtle eggs illegally from nests on Sapelo Island. Under the protection of the Lacey Act, no one is allowed to take or transport any endangered species. The Loggerhead sea turtle is endangered, so their eggs are also protected.
Back in 2012, the first conviction of Jackson resulted in 6 months of jail time. He had been caught with 150 eggs.
This time, the judge issued a larger sentence. Jackson will serve 21 months in prison for this offense. Jackson was caught with dozens of eggs. Hopefully this sentence will discourage other poachers from harming our wildlife in any way.
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