A Georgia doctor was ordered to pay a $900,000 fine for trafficking protected birds and eggs, including bald eagles and a rare bird with an estimated population as low as 900 in the wild, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.
In addition to the fine — one of the largest-ever in an Endangered Species Act case — Dr. John Waldrop of Cataula was ordered to serve three years on probation, the DOJ said. He was also ordered to forfeit his massive collection of birds and eggs obtained illegally. A second man, Toney Jones of Eufala, Alabama, was sentenced to six months of probation.
Waldrop pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to smuggle wildlife and ESA violations, while Jones pleaded guilty to an ESA charge.
According to court documents and testimony, Waldrop’s illegal collection included 1,401 taxidermy bird mounts and 2,594 eggs. The collection included four eagles protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and 179 bird and 193 egg species listed in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
He also had 212 bird and 32 egg species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Three eggs of the Nordmann’s Greenshank, an Asian shorebird with only 900 to 1,600 remaining birds in the wild, were also in Waldrop’s possession, investigators said.
“Waldrop’s gigantic and rare bird collection was bolstered in part by illegal imports, where he and his enlisted co-conspirators intentionally avoided permit and declaration requirements,” acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) said in a media statement. “We applaud the efforts of the various federal and state law enforcement entities in investigating and prosecuting this case.”
Between 2016 and 2020, Waldrop imported birds and eggs into the country without the required declarations and permits, according to investigators. After agriculture inspectors intercepted several shipments, Waldrop recruited Jones, who worked on his Georgia farm, to receive the packages instead, the DOJ said.
Jones deposited approximately $525,000 in a bank account that Waldrop used to pay for the imports and hide his involvement. Investigators determined Waldrop and Jones used online sites such as eBay and Etsy to buy birds and eggs from around the world, including Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Uruguay.
“The scale of this investigation underscores the critical importance of protecting our natural resources,” Douglas Ault, assistant director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, said in a media statement. “Waldrop’s collection included thousands of bird specimens and eggs, many of which are among the rarest in the world.
“We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement are unwavering in our commitment to safeguarding wildlife for future generations,” Ault said. “We will remain vigilant and will continue to hold accountable those who exploit our shared natural resources for personal gain.”
Waldrop is an orthopedic surgeon in Columbus, according to the Georgia Composite Medical Board. His medical license, issued in 1979, is still active, online records show. Waldrop reported his plea to the medical board in September.
Credit: NYT
Credit: NYT
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