TALLAHASSEE -- State fish and wildlife agents say they've broken up an international poaching ring that was smuggling Florida wildlife to out-of-state and overseas buyers. Six people have been busted and a seventh is on the run.

FWC says their agents got a tip that people were illegally trapping flying squirrels, a protected species, in Marion County. The wild squirrels were laundered through a Bushnell (Sumter County) dealer who claimed they were bred in captivity. FWC says about 10,000 squirrel traps were used to capture as many as 3,600 flying squireels throughout central Florida in less than three years... grossing more than $200,000 for the dealer. Investigators say South Korean buyers would travel to Bushnell to buy the squirrels, drive them to Chicago and ship them to the Far East through an unsuspecting exporter.

As the investigation deepened, FWC determined the poachers were also taking protected freshwater turtles and alligators, through laundering and falsified documents. Those freshwater turtles were being shipped through Tampa International Airport to Los Angeles, and then through to Asia.

Federal Homeland Security agents and wildlife officers from four states ultimately took part in the investigation. Charges in Florida are being brought by Attorney General Ashley Moody's office.

Here are the charges brought by FWC and their federal and multi-state counterparts:

Rodney Crendell Knox (DOB 04/15/1954) Bushnell, Florida

Racketeering
Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering
Money Laundering
Scheme to Defraud
Grand Theft
Dealing in Stolen Property

Kenneth Lee Roebuck (DOB 03/02/1961) Lake Panasoffkee, Florida

Racketeering
Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering
Scheme to Defraud
Grand Theft
Dealing in Stolen Property

Donald Lee Harrod Jr. (DOB 02/04/1971) Bushnell, Florida

Racketeering
Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering
Scheme to Defraud
Grand Theft
Dealing in Stolen Property

Vester Ray Taylor Jr. (DOB 03/30/1980) Webster, Florida

Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering
Dealing in Stolen Property

Jong Yun Baek (DOB 05/02/1964) Marietta, Georgia

Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering

Ervin Woodyard Jr. (DOB 8/10/1980) Greenville, Georgia

Unlawful Possession of Wildlife (Georgia DNR)
Violation of Probation (Trafficking a Person for Sexual Servitude - Georgia)

Unnamed Fugitive

Racketeering
Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering
Scheme to Defraud
Grand Theft
Dealing in Stolen Property

Photo: Getty Images

Brittany Gonzalez

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