Escondido

An Escondido couple indicted last May on charges of illegally smuggling exotic birds into the United States have pleaded guilty.

On Thursday, Michael Daye, 40, who owns a pet store in Long Beach, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import protected wildlife, which carries a maximum five-year term in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

On Friday, his wife, Jane Daye, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting transportation and receipt of protected wildlife.

U.S. District Court Judge J. Lawrence Irving set sentencing for Michael Daye for Aug. 6. He remains free on a $250,000 personal surety bond.

At the request of Jane Daye’s attorney, Cindy Aaron, she was sentenced immediately to one year of probation with no jail time or fine.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Cynthia Millsaps said Jane Daye was a minor figure in the scheme, which included 10 other people, according to the grand jury indictment handed down May 31. Only three defendants in the case have not pleaded guilty, and their trial is set for April 17.

The exotic birds came from Southeast Asia, Central and South America and Mexico. They included various types of cockatoos, parrots and macaws.

Some of the species are so threatened with extinction that an international treaty has been signed by 97 nations that prohibits all trade with these birds, according to information supplied by the U.S. attorney’s office. Some of the birds smuggled were valued at $8,000 to $10,000 each.