NEW YORK — Federal authorities say a tropical fish merchant has admitted smuggling more than 39,000 piranhas into New York City and mislabeling them as common aquarium fish.
The Justice Department says Joel Rakower and his Queens company, Transship Discounts Ltd., pleaded guilty Wednesday and agreed to pay $73,000 in fines.
Piranhas are illegal in New York City and more than two dozen states.
Prosecutors say Rakower imported the piranhas in 2011 and 2012 and resold them to fish retailers in several states. Only 850 were recovered.
His lawyer tells Newsday that Rakower had been in the wholesale tropical fish supply business for 30 years. He says the 66-year-old Melville man made an error in judgment and is now paying for it.
Sentencing was set for April 24.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
-
Kennebunk PostObituary – Abner Clarkson
-
Local & State
Maine National Guard members arrive in hospitals to assist with omicron surge
-
Nation & World
Report on sexual abuse in German diocese faults Pope Benedict XVI
-
Nation & World
19-year-old pilot Zara Rutherford lands in Belgium, sets world record
-
South Portland Sentry
South Portland hires next police chief
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi {SUB NAME}, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have one? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login to participate in the conversation. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.