Tahoe City Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Newts and Turtles Into the US

Falsely labeled packages containing the creatures, which can harm US ecosystems, were shipped to and from Hong Kong and Sweden, authorities said.

A turtle at Stow Lake in San Francisco on Aug. 11, 2014. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A Tahoe City, California, man pleaded guilty June 24 to one count of smuggling amphibians into the United States as part of an international ring, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.

Authorities say Andrew Laughlin, 47, admitted he participated as a middleman to acquire hard-to-find newts.