Maine man pleads guilty to trafficking whale and bird parts in federal wildlife case
PORTLAND, ME – Sergey Bachkovsky, of Greene, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to trafficking protected wildlife items, including whale and bird parts, in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court records, from June 2023 to March 2024, Bachkovsky imported various wildlife items from Eastern Europe and sold them online to buyers across the United States. The items included sperm whale and marine mammal teeth, scrimshaw carvings, blue whale and Antarctic minke whale ear bones, and a broad-winged hawk carcass. A notice of forfeiture lists additional items Bachkovsky intended to sell, including bear and whale bones, and feathers and wings from eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures.
The Lacey Act prohibits trade in wildlife taken or sold in violation of federal or st...