Cactus Theft

[Sredfield]

This from the BLM newsletter:

Saguaro Theft Costly for Scottsdale Man

A Scottsdale man has been sentenced to pay restitution of $32,000 and spend eight months of weekends in jail for stealing cacti from federal land in 2010. Kenneth Brian Cobb, 46, was also sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix to five years of probation. Cobb took eight saguaro from federal land near Wickenburg and sold them for about $2,000 each, prosecutors said. On Jan. 21, 2011, Cobb exported two saguaro cacti from the U.S. to Austria without a valid export permit, prosecutors added. "The saguaro cactus is a symbol of the Sonoran desert and Arizona Saguaros are protected by state and federal law to avoid their becoming threatened by the very actions of people like the defendant," U.S. Attorney John Leonardo said. "The defendant stole these precious resources from federal lands and sold them for profit.

Cobb pleaded guilty last September to theft of government property and a violation of the Endangered Species Act. The investigation in this case was conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona included the following statement from United States Attorney John Leonardo, “The saguaro cactus is a symbol of the Sonoran Desert and Arizona. Saguaros are protected by state and federal law to avoid their becoming threatened by the very actions of people like the defendant. The defendant stole these precious resources from federal lands and sold them for profit. This prosecution demonstrates that such activity will not be tolerated.”

[kingsnake]

Really dropped the hammer on him, didn't they? plz:

[Sredfield]

The exporting w/o permit is a serious deal, think of all the invasive species that came here and the havoc they create. I'm sure there are serious laws to stop that, both ways.

[beterarcher]

too bad one didn't fall on him :stretch: like the idiot that was shooting one down years ago

[azbackpackr]

Ha ha, he deserved it! I wonder how they caught up with him? Anyone know the back story on it?

[Alston_Neal]

Ha ha, he deserved it! I wonder how they caught up with him? Anyone know the back story on it?

Probably when he had two 3 foot cacti as carry on luggage to Austria.
TSA are pretty sharp cookies.

[kingsnake]

Hopefully they did not find it during the cavity search!

[Nighthiker]

You are giving to much credit to TSA.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Ha ha, he deserved it! I wonder how they caught up with him? Anyone know the back story on it?

Saguaro DNA I suspect.