Sergey Bachkovsky, of Greene, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court in Maine to trafficking whale and bird parts in violation of the Lacey Act.
From June 2023 to March 2024, Bachkovsky imported wildlife items from Eastern Europe and sold them online to buyers in the U.S., according to court records cited by the U.S. Department of Justice in a news release.
Bachkovsky allegedly sold sperm whale and marine mammal teeth, including some with scrimshaw art, along with blue whale and Antarctic minke whale ear bones, and a broad-winged hawk carcass.
Additional wildlife items that Bachkovsky intended to sell, included marine mammal and bear teeth, whale vertebrae, and feathers and wings from eagles, hawks, owls and vultures, according to a notice of forfeiture in the charging document.
The Lacey Act of 1900 is the oldest U.S. wildlife trafficking law. In its current form, it prohibits trading in wildlife taken, possessed, transported contrary to another U.S. or state law.
Sperm and blue whales are protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The Marine Mammal Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act bar the sale and transportation of whale and migratory bird items without a permit, such as for public display, scientific study, or enhancement of species survival, according to the Justice Department.
Bachkovsky faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the illegal activity.
