DOTHAN, Ala. — A man from Eufaula, Alabama, has been sentenced after helping a Georgia doctor smuggle thousands of illegal taxidermy birds and eggs into the United States. Toney Jones, who pleaded guilty to charges under the Endangered Species Act, received six months of probation as part of his sentence.
The case, which involved the illegal trafficking of rare and protected bird species, also resulted in a significant penalty for Dr. John Waldrop, a physician from Cataula, Georgia. Waldrop was sentenced to three years of probation and a substantial $900,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle wildlife and violating the Endangered Species Act.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the two men worked together to amass a collection of 1,401 taxidermy bird mounts and 2,594 eggs between 2016 and 2020. The items were imported from several countries, including Germany, South Africa, Russia, and the United Kingdom, and were smuggled into the U.S. without the necessary permits and declarations.
Among the seized specimens were four eagles, protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, as well as hundreds of birds and eggs from species listed under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). One of the most notable specimens was a collection of three eggs from the Nordmann’s Greenshank, an endangered Asian shorebird with a population estimated at only 900 to 1,600 birds in the wild.
Federal investigators uncovered the smuggling operation after packages were intercepted by customs officials at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. The DOJ revealed that Waldrop, who is known for his extensive collection of rare bird species, enlisted Jones to receive the illegal shipments at a farm in Georgia where Jones worked.
Jones also played a financial role in the operation, depositing approximately $525,000 into a bank account used by Waldrop to facilitate the illegal imports. Despite his relatively minor role, Jones’s involvement in the smuggling scheme led to his conviction under the Endangered Species Act.
Waldrop’s collection, which included protected species such as owls, falcons, and eagles, was later deemed the largest seizure of bird mounts in the history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab. The lab noted that the scope of the operation was unprecedented, and the case stands as one of the largest bird trafficking investigations ever conducted in the United States.
“Waldrop’s gigantic and rare bird collection was bolstered in part by illegal imports, where he and his co-conspirators intentionally avoided permit and declaration requirements,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) praised the efforts of federal and state law enforcement in bringing the case to a successful conclusion. Assistant Director Douglas Ault of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement emphasized the importance of protecting wildlife, calling the case one of the largest of its kind in history.
“The commercialization of species protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and CITES highlights the conservation impact of Waldrop’s crimes,” Ault said. “We are committed to safeguarding wildlife for future generations and will continue to hold accountable those who exploit our shared natural resources for personal gain.”
This sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of violating wildlife protection laws, as well as the ongoing need for vigilance in the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking.
