Four Immigrants Sentenced for Wildlife Trafficking
Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, VA)
June 23, 2004
Note: This story was reported and written on short notice in about two hours after the paper’s daily court reporter was assigned another story.
By Kelly Jasper
Daily News-Record
Four South Korean immigrants pleaded guilty Tuesday in Rockingham County Circuit Court to felony charges stemming from a three-year investigation into the illegal trafficking of wildlife.
Each immigrant was charged with several counts of buying or conspiring to buy gall bladders of North American black bears.
The species, thought by many wildlife groups to be threatened, is believed to hold medicinal properties by many Asian cultures.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Miller said he was pleased with the court’s action.
“It continues to send a strong message that Virginia’s wildlife is not for sale,” he said.
The Convictions
All four of Tuesday’s defendants pleaded to one count each of purchasing a wild animal, a felony. The purchases took place in December 2002 and January 2003, according to prosecutors.
Connie Chung, 51, was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $9,187 in restitution.
Jay Suk Chung, 62, was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution.
Chu Keun Chon, 56, and Sun Cha Chon, 52, were sentenced to serve two years in prison each and ordered to pay $3,725 each in restitution.
Circuit Court Judge James Lane suspended all of the prison sentences and ordered each defendant to serve unsupervised probation for one year.
The Chons’ sentences were reduced because the couple were first-time offenders, Lane said in court Tuesday.
“You’ve both been given a break on this case,” he said.
The Case
Tuesday’s convictions stem from a three-year sting operation, dubbed VIPER, the Virginia Interagency Effort to Protect Environmental Resources.
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, in conjunction with the National Park Service, opened a sporting goods store in Elkton as a front for federal and state investigators trying to crack an alleged international poaching operation.
Rock’s Dixie Emporium was used to investigate the harvesting and sale of poached goods, including black bear parts and ginseng roots from Shenandoah National Park, a violation of state and federal laws.
Law enforcement officials purchased English and Korean newspaper advertisements across Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., seeking willing bear-part buyers or sellers.
Of the 40 people indicted on charges stemming from the investigation, Miller said there are six more cases to bring to trial in the coming months.
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