Mass. man pleads guilty to wildlife trafficking

Local News

The man consented to the civil forfeiture of more than 100 wildlife parts including orangutan and tiger skulls and jaguar skin, according to the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.

A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to federal charges of trafficking wildlife parts from endangered and protected species, prosecutors announced.

“The wildlife that Bied unlawfully imported and conspired to import was protected by the Endangered Species Act as well as [CITES],” the office of U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley said. 

Adam Bied, 40, bought, sold, and traded the endangered animal parts from 2018 to 2021, knowing his transactions violated U.S. laws and regulations, according to federal prosecutors. The Reading resident worked with other traffickers based in Cameroon and Indonesia to obtain the parts, and neither sought nor obtained the proper USDWS licenses or CITES permits, Foley’s office said.

The ESA, the Lacey Act, and CITES prohibit the import, export, possession, transport, purchase and sale of protected species dead or alive, including the skins, parts, and products, according to the release.

“The lawful importation of vulnerable wildlife species requires a CITES permit. The lawful importation of any foreign species requires a USFWS wildlife declaration. Individuals are also required to have a USFWS import/export license to import wildlife for commercial purposes,” prosecutors said.

“Bied and his co-conspirators took steps to conceal the wildlife parts from U.S. authorities by falsely labeling them as ‘decorative masks’ and ‘rodents,’ among other things,” wrote Foley’s office.

Bied imported skulls from animals like a baboon, chimpanzee, pangolin, orangutan, and leopard, prosecutors said.

Bied was charged in June 2024 and faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, Foley’s office said.

The wildlife parts identified in the civil forfeiture complaint include:

• Orangutan skulls
• Tiger skulls
• Leopard skin, skulls and a claw
• Jaguar skin and skull
• African lion skulls
• Polar bear skull
• Narwhal tusk
• Otter skeleton
• Harp seal skull
• Pangolin skull
• South American fur seal skull
• Elephant seal skull
• Babirusa skulls
• Mandrillus skulls
• Wallaby skull
• Jackal skull