Posted on 01/28/2022 1:26:31 PM PST by nickcarraway
A man was sentenced to two years in federal prison last week for attempting to export at least $150,000 worth of wild succulents that he poached from native habitats in Northern California state parks, the United States Justice Department said, SFGate.com reported.
On Oct. 11, 2018, Byungsu Kim, 46, and co-defendants Youngin Back, 47, and Bong Jun Kim, 46, traveled by car from Los Angeles International Airport to Crescent City, Calif., with plans to harvest wild plants and smuggle them to South Korea, the department said in a statement Jan. 20. Throughout October 2018, they pulled plants from the ground at DeMartin State Beach in Klamath, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park in Crescent City and Russian Gulch State Park in Mendocino County, the department said. The Dudleya plants — a type of succulent with a pretty rose shape that grows along coastal cliffs — were then brought to a nursery operated by Kim in Vista, a town near San Diego.
Because growing Dudleyas in nurseries takes years, smugglers are known to harvest wild, living plants from the ground in Northern California and export them overseas where they are sold on the black market.
Byungsu Kim scheduled an inspection with a county agriculture official at the Vista nursery and "falsely told her the government-issued certificate necessary for the plants’ exportation should list 1,397 Dudleya plants for export to South Korea and that the 'place of origin' of the plants was San Diego County," the department said.
The thieves then transported the plants to a commercial exporter in Compton to smuggle their haul to South Korea, but the effort was stopped by local law enforcement who obtained a search warrant and found 3,715 poached Dudleya plants in boxes that were labeled “rush” and “live plants,” the department said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ksbw.com ...
Ping
I’m glad California has its priorities right.
Murder, mugging, mayhem, thievery, smash-and-grab, car jacking — no charges!
But steal some plants!? Throw the book at ‘em!
That’s a lot of work for a plant that looks like a weed.
UNFAIR
the state should have had price tags on each plant
to enable the thief to keep his take down to the California-approved $950 limit each time he stole more, to avoid punishment
“That’s a lot of work for a plant that looks like a weed.”
It’s a small and slow growing plant that requires precious little care. It’s perfect for the majority of South Koreans who live in absurdly small apartments.
Thus the demand and I am sure the retail value of these plants in the SK market exceeds US$1 million.
Probably makes a decent kimchi, too.
Deep state inflated b.s.
How many do?
It’s been a huge problem from what I’ve read. Also, thefts of saquaro cacti from people’s front yards (probably stolen once before.)
“Probably makes a decent kimchi, too.”
“Decent” and “kimchi” in the same sentence? LOL!
Hmmmm. Apparently it’s still illegal to steal from the government in California.
Meanwhile, the Jan 6 guy wearing the Buffalo hat was sentenced to 41 months (3.4 years) for trespassing (while carrying the American Flag).
The two don't exactly add up to justice.
Cali is seriously monitoring their border to protect their plants. We were croosing between Oregon and cli when we were stopped by an agriculture agent or something. He,asked if we had any produce or fruit. I tolh him i probably had some lettuce in my teeth from taco bell. He was not amused and my hubby was laughing. I thought that uptight produce enforcer was going to arrest me.
So if the lettuce crop was ruined in 2015... i did that. They do not believe in produce diversity and inclusion.
Weed is right. My wife is into growing and collecting succulents/cactus plants. She plants small items in planter pots or in our yard, and a few months later they've grown to enormous size with very little care, just like weeds. When they bloom with flower stalks, they're pleasant to look at. It's a hobby she shares with friends and some neighbors. No one should think about stealing plants, just ask around and people will donate some plants - that's how she got all of her initial succulents.
If he just went to lowes or home depot they’d have let him walk out with them no problem.
He should have just shoplifted $999 from walgreens 200 times....he’d be in the clear and then some....
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