Illegal Butterfly Trade: Man Arrested for Smuggling $200,000 Worth of Insects
A Long Island man, Charles Limmer, has been charged with smuggling $200,000 worth of deceased, protected butterflies, including birdwings, and other insects into and out of the United States. Limmer allegedly labeled the illegal shipments as "decorative wall coverings" and "origami paper craft" to conceal the smuggling scheme. He expressed contempt for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Limmer, who claims to be a lepidopterist and conservationist, had obtained a federal license to import and export wildlife commercially in 2016 but had it suspended last October. The indictment seeks the forfeiture of over 1,000 insects.