Date: 01-10-2020

Case Style:

Case Number: 1:20-cr-00005-RJA-MJR

Judge: Richard J. Arcara

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of New York

Plaintiff's Attorney: Patrick Duggan and Aaron J. Mango

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description: Buffalo, NY - The United States of America sued Christopher Casacci with trafficking in African wild cats.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Christopher Casacci, 38, of Amherst, New York, with violating the Lacey Act and the U.S. Animal Welfare Act based on his trafficking of African wild cats in interstate commerce.

The indictment charges that Casacci, doing business as “Exotic Cubs.com,” imported and sold dozens of caracals (Caracal caracal) and servals (Leptailurus serval) in interstate commerce from February to June of 2018. Caracals, also known as the “desert lynx,” are wild cats native to Africa, and grow to approximately 45 pounds. Servals, also wild cats native to Africa, grow to approximately 40 pounds. Both species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and their commercial possession and sale is restricted under New York state law.

Casacci is also charged with disguising his commercial activity by falsely declaring the animals as domesticated breeds, such as savannah cats and bengal cats, on shipping records.

People and businesses dealing in animals are required to comply with humane care standards under the Animal Welfare Act. Casacci failed to do so, and failed to secure the necessary license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Casacci was charged with violating the Animal Welfare Act for selling animals without a license showing minimum compliance with humane treatment standards.

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ryan Noel, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Charges:

16:3372.F PROHIBITED ACTS, OTHER THAN MARKING OFFENSE and 16:3373(d)(1)(B) and 18:2
(1-14)
16:3372.F PROHIBITED ACTS, OTHER THAN MARKING OFFENSE and 16:3373(d)(3)(A)(ii) and 18:2
(15-18)
7:2134.M DEALERS AND EXHIBITORS VALID LICENSE and 7:2149 (d)
(19-33)

It is unlawful for any person—
(1) to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any fish or wildlife or plant taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law, treaty, or regulation of the United States or in violation of any Indian tribal law;
(2) to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce—
(A) any fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State or in violation of any foreign law;
(B) any plant—
(i) taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State, or any foreign law, that protects plants or that regulates—
(I) the theft of plants;
(II) the taking of plants from a park, forest reserve, or other officially protected area;
(III) the taking of plants from an officially designated area; or
(IV) the taking of plants without, or contrary to, required authorization;
(ii) taken, possessed, transported, or sold without the payment of appropriate royalties, taxes, or stumpage fees required for the plant by any law or regulation of any State or any foreign law; or
(iii) taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any limitation under any law or regulation of any State, or under any foreign law, governing the export or transshipment of plants; or
(C) any prohibited wildlife species (subject to subsection (e));
(3) within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States (as defined in section 7 of title 18)—
(A) to possess any fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State or in violation of any foreign law or Indian tribal law, or
(B) to possess any plant—
(i) taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State, or any foreign law, that protects plants or that regulates—
(I) the theft of plants;
(II) the taking of plants from a park, forest reserve, or other officially protected area;
(III) the taking of plants from an officially designated area; or
(IV) the taking of plants without, or contrary to, required authorization;
(ii) taken, possessed, transported, or sold without the payment of appropriate royalties, taxes, or stumpage fees required for the plant by any law or regulation of any State or any foreign law; or
(iii) taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any limitation under any law or regulation of any State, or under any foreign law, governing the export or transshipment of plants; or
(4) to attempt to commit any act described in paragraphs (1) through (3).
(b) Marking offenses

It is unlawful for any person to import, export, or transport in interstate commerce any container or package containing any fish or wildlife unless the container or package has previously been plainly marked, labeled, or tagged in accordance with the regulations issued pursuant to paragraph (2) of section 3376(a) of this title.
(c) Sale and purchase of guiding and outfitting services and invalid licenses and permits
(1) SaleIt is deemed to be a sale of fish or wildlife in violation of this chapter for a person for money or other consideration to offer or provide—
(A) guiding, outfitting, or other services; or
(B) a hunting or fishing license or permit;
for the illegal taking, acquiring, receiving, transporting, or possessing of fish or wildlife.
(2) PurchaseIt is deemed to be a purchase of fish or wildlife in violation of this chapter for a person to obtain for money or other consideration—
(A) guiding, outfitting, or other services; or
(B) a hunting or fishing license or permit;
for the illegal taking, acquiring, receiving, transporting, or possessing of fish or wildlife.
(d) False labeling offensesIt is unlawful for any person to make or submit any false record, account, or label for, or any false identification of, any fish, wildlife, or plant which has been, or is intended to be—
(1) imported, exported, transported, sold, purchased, or received from any foreign country; or
(2) transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
(e) Nonapplicability of prohibited wildlife species offense
(1) In general

Subsection (a)(2)(C) does not apply to importation, exportation, transportation, sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase of an animal of a prohibited wildlife species, by a person that, under regulations prescribed under paragraph (3), is described in paragraph (2) with respect to that species.
(2) Persons describedA person is described in this paragraph, if the person—
(A) is licensed or registered, and inspected, by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or any other Federal agency with respect to that species;
(B) is a State college, university, or agency, State-licensed wildlife rehabilitator, or State-licensed veterinarian;
(C) is an accredited wildlife sanctuary that cares for prohibited wildlife species and—
(i) is a corporation that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of title 26 and described in sections 501(c)(3) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of such title;
(ii) does not commercially trade in animals listed in section 3371(g) of this title, including offspring, parts, and byproducts of such animals;
(iii) does not propagate animals listed in section 3371(g) of this title; and
(iv) does not allow direct contact between the public and animals; or
(D) has custody of the animal solely for the purpose of expeditiously transporting the animal to a person described in this paragraph with respect to the species.
(3) Regulations

Not later than 180 days after December 19, 2003, the Secretary, in cooperation with the Director of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, shall promulgate regulations describing the persons described in paragraph (2).
(4) State authority

Nothing in this subsection preempts or supersedes the authority of a State to regulate wildlife species within that State.
(5) Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a)(2)(C) $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008.
(f) Plant declarations
(1) Import declarationEffective 180 days from the date of enactment of this subsection, and except as provided in paragraph (3), it shall be unlawful for any person to import any plant unless the person files upon importation a declaration that contains—
(A) the scientific name of any plant (including the genus and species of the plant) contained in the importation;
(B) a description of—
(i) the value of the importation; and
(ii) the quantity, including the unit of measure, of the plant; and
(C) the name of the country from which the plant was taken.
(2) Declaration relating to plant productsUntil the date on which the Secretary promulgates a regulation under paragraph (6), a declaration relating to a plant product shall—
(A) in the case in which the species of plant used to produce the plant product that is the subject of the importation varies, and the species used to produce the plant product is unknown, contain the name of each species of plant that may have been used to produce the plant product;
(B) in the case in which the species of plant used to produce the plant product that is the subject of the importation is commonly taken from more than one country, and the country from which the plant was taken and used to produce the plant product is unknown, contain the name of each country from which the plant may have been taken; and
(C) in the case in which a paper or paperboard plant product includes recycled plant product, contain the average percent recycled content without regard for the species or country of origin of the recycled plant product, in addition to the information for the non-recycled plant content otherwise required by this subsection.
(3) Exclusions

Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply to plants used exclusively as packaging material to support, protect, or carry another item, unless the packaging material itself is the item being imported.
(4) Review

Not later than two years after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall review the implementation of each requirement imposed by paragraphs (1) and (2) and the effect of the exclusion provided by paragraph (3). In conducting the review, the Secretary shall provide public notice and an opportunity for comment.
(5) ReportNot later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary completes the review under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing—
(A) an evaluation of—
(i) the effectiveness of each type of information required under paragraphs (1) and (2) in assisting enforcement of this section; and
(ii) the potential to harmonize each requirement imposed by paragraphs (1) and (2) with other applicable import regulations in existence as of the date of the report;
(B) recommendations for such legislation as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to assist in the identification of plants that are imported into the United States in violation of this section; and
(C) an analysis of the effect of subsection (a) and this subsection on—
(i) the cost of legal plant imports; and
(ii) the extent and methodology of illegal logging practices and trafficking.
(6) Promulgation of regulationsNot later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary completes the review under paragraph (4), the Secretary may promulgate regulations—
(A) to limit the applicability of any requirement imposed by paragraph (2) to specific plant products;
(B) to make any other necessary modification to any requirement imposed by paragraph (2), as determined by the Secretary based on the review; and
(C) to limit the scope of the exclusion provided by paragraph (3), if the limitations in scope are warranted as a result of the review.
(Pub. L. 97–79, § 3, Nov. 16, 1981, 95 Stat. 1074; Pub. L. 100–653, title I, § 101, Nov. 14, 1988, 102 Stat. 3825; Pub. L. 108–191, § 3(a), Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2871; Pub. L. 110–234, title VIII, § 8204(b), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1292; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VIII, § 8204(b), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2053.)

Outcome: 01/09/2020 Attorney update in case as to Christopher D. Casacci. Attorney Nicholas A. Romano for Christopher D. Casacci added. (RAZ) (Entered: 01/10/2020)
01/09/2020 Attorney update in case as to Christopher D. Casacci. Attorney Patrick M. Duggan for USA added. (RAZ) (Entered: 01/10/2020)
01/09/2020 4 Minute Entry for proceedings held before Hon. Michael J. Roemer. Appearances: AUSA Aaron J. Mango and DOJ Attorney Patrick M. Duggan; Nicholas A. Romano, Esq. w/deft Casacci; USPO Brian M. Mamizuka.

Arraignment as to Christopher D. Casacci (1) Count 1-14,15-18,19-33 held on 1/9/2020. Govt summarized charges in the Indictment and possible penalties. Court advised deft of his rights, including the right to counsel. Deft has retained Nicholas A. Romano, Esq. Deft waived reading of Indictment and entered a plea of not guilty to charges therein. Scheduling Order to be issued.

Govt had no objection to deft being released on conditions. The Court reviewed the conditions of release with deft and he stated he understood the conditions imposed. Mr. Romano requested the Court's authorization for deft to sell six domestic kittens in his possession. The govt moved the Court for a delay in the sale until they can determine if those sales are lawful. Court granted govt's request and set a Status Conference for 1/23/2020 01:00 PM before Hon. Michael J. Roemer for reportback. Time excluded as from 1/9/2020 through 3/10/2020 for the purposes of the Speedy Trial Act as stated on the record. Deft released on conditions. (Court Reporter FTR Gold.)(RAZ) (Entered: 01/12/2020)
01/09/2020 5 SCHEDULING ORDER as to Christopher D. Casacci. (Please Note: This docket text may not contain the entire contents of the attached Order. It is your responsibility to read the attached Order and download it for future reference. Direct any questions to the Chambers of the Judge who entered this Order.)

Discovery completed by 2/10/2020. Motions due by 3/10/2020. Responses due by 3/24/2020. Replies due by 4/7/2020. Oral Argument set for 4/13/2020 10:30 AM before Hon. Michael J. Roemer. Signed by Hon. Michael J. Roemer on 1/9/2020.(RAZ) (Entered: 01/12/2020)

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