Valley Center

A former bird distributor from Valley Center was sentenced Monday to six months in prison for his part in smuggling yellow-naped Amazon parrots from Mexico into this country.

Eugene Carrier could have received 10 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine, but federal prosecutors agreed to a lighter penalty because of Carrier’s “substantial cooperation” with the government in obtaining convictions against two accomplices in the smuggling operation.

“We think this is the type of reward that Mr. Carrier has earned,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Crandall said of the lighter sentence. “He’s done everything I asked him to do.”

Carrier has testified against a North Carolina pet store owner, who was convicted, and helped authorities arrest a major source of the smuggled birds in Mexico, Crandall said.

But U.S. District Judge Judith Keep said some prison time was appropriate for Carrier, regardless of his assistance to prosecutors.

“I have to look at the fact that you were extremely involved,” the judge said. “You were a key player.”

Carrier had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle protected wildlife and to violating the Lacey Act, which forbids transport of protected species into the United States. Some of the 300 Amazon parrots smuggled to his ranch carried Newcastle disease, which can spread quickly among birds.