A Greene man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to illegally trafficking in whale and bird parts between June 2023 and March 2024, including the sale of whale bones and hawk skeletons.
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Sergey Bachkovsky of Greene imported the contraband animal parts from Eastern Europe and sold them online across the country.
The items included sperm whale teeth, aquatic mammal bones, including scrimshaw—art created on whale bones or teeth—blue whale and Antarctic minke whale ear bones, and a broad-winged hawk carcass.
According to charging documents, Bachkovsky also forfeited marine mammal and bear teeth, whale vertebrae, and feathers and wings from eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures, which he reportedly intended to sell.
The sale of contraband animal parts violates the Lacey Act, the oldest U.S. wildlife trafficking law.
Bachkovsky faces a maximum of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $250,000.
