Japanese man sentenced in LA in turtle smuggling case

Wow, they got off lightly.

Snack food boxes? Really!?

This guy will get destroyed in American prison.

dozens of live turtles and tortoises from Japan into the U.S. by hiding them in snack food boxes

I'd have pleaded that was not smuggling : "This is my staple food in Japan, and as I can't buy them in LA, every time I visit I need to bring my lunch boxes...".

Poor, poor little turtles!!! Yes, there are stupid bad people here in Japan too, just yesterday they found South American Pirañas in a river out near Atsugi in Kanagawa ken! So some idiot fool, my guess also Japanese brought them from South America, found that not that many people are crazy enough to keep pirañas as pets and said, ok, dump them out in the Sagami river?? Fools!!! I hope this Japanese retard has lots of fun in them nice jails down in Los Angeles!!

I wonder how many of these commenters actually studied the Japanese legal system, or just the legal system of any countries in general? "drunk and had no recollection" is a defense based on diminished capacity. It goes to argue against the mens rea element of the crime. In this case, I don't think his intent for saying those words were any defenses to his argument. That won't work either in the US or in Japan.

“I am extremely ashamed and remorseful about my actions,” he wrote.

he is only ashamed because he got caught. if he were truly remorseful then he should have simply not smuggled

Fourty trips carrying non-native species into countries and he only got 2 years?! They should also sentence him to 20 years of helping the National Parks Service control the Burmese Python problem down in the Everglades. That was a non-native species introduced only 20 or so years ago and almost all the small mammals have already been eliminated from the area. Maybe that would teach him the folly of his "business".

@smithingjapan

You beat me to it! You are right a simple sorry does not work in the USA

On another note

Authorities believe Yamagami and his couriers took more than 40 trips to and from the U.S. between 2004 and 2011.

This looks bad for the Japanese police yet again did not catch this act!! True, it did take 40 some trips but they were caught in the USA!! That said I bet they wish there were caught in Japan where a simple sorry would get them off !

@smithinjapan

'Sorry, bud... doesn't work there.

thats's 100% for sure, and he better not drop the soap

'“I am extremely ashamed and remorseful about my actions,” he wrote.'

Sorry, bud... doesn't work there.

Having done the smuggling trip 40 times, means he exactly knew what he was doing. And the remorse is only for being caught.

Bet he's gutted being "ashamed and extremely remorseful" wasn't sufficient and he still got a prison term. Maybe he should have said he was drunk and had no recollection.