Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Lizards
A Mission Viejo man pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court Wednesday to smuggling 57 New Caledonia lizards, which are protected under international law, into the United States.
Adrian Sheldon Cunningham, 43, concealed the prized geckos in a portable kayak aboard an Air New Zealand flight May 17 from Auckland to Los Angeles.
New Caledonia geckos have protected status under international law and cannot be removed from their habitat or imported into the United States without permits.
On the black market, the geckos could have brought about $85,000, authorities said.
Cunningham’s arrest resulted from an investigation by the New Zealand Wildlife Enforcement Group and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
He will be sentenced Oct. 22 by U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie.
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