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Dutchess County resident Joshua Seguine, age 40, of Lagrangeville, pleaded guilty to illegal commercialization of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and wildlife, for the illegal possession with intent to sell seven sandbar sharks, a protected species under New York law
New York AG Letitia James and the New York State Department of Environmental Conversation Commissioner (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that Seguine had pleaded guilty in the Town of LaGrange Justice Court on Wednesday, March 17.
Seguine was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and sentenced to a conditional discharge.
Officials said that Seguine first came to the attention of the DEC in July 2017, when he was arrested in Georgia for driving without a license and possessing five undersized sharks in large circular tanks in the back of his truck.
Seguine admitted that he was transporting the sharks to New York state, where he intended to sell them, and that he possessed additional live sharks at his house in New York.
Law enforcement officials in Georgia forwarded Seguine's information to the New York State DEC.
The subsequent investigation determined that Seguine, operating a business under the name Aquatic Apex Life LLC, had offered sharks for sale as recently as June 29, 2017, on the website MonsterFishKeepers.com.
A warrant was issued to search Seguine’s Dutchess County home, where they found an above-ground pool in Seguine’s house that contained seven live sharks. The sharks were subsequently identified as sandbar sharks, the possession of which is prohibited by New York law without a special license.
During the search, investigators also found two dead leopard sharks, one dead hammerhead shark, and the snout of a small tooth sawfish, an endangered species.
Biologists from the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium at Coney Island assessed the sharks and transferred them to the Riverhead facility. The sharks were subsequently moved to the New York Aquarium at Coney Island.
“Let this serve as a loud and clear message: We will not tolerate anyone who preys on protected species to line their pockets,” James said. "My office will continue to enforce the laws that safeguard our wildlife, and we will hold accountable those who violate them.”
DEC Seggos added: “I applaud the work of our environmental conservation police officers, who spearheaded the investigation that resulted in Joshua Seguine being brought to justice. It is critical that we work to protect endangered species that are taken from their natural habitats and sold for profit.”
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