A Pittsburgh man pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to trafficking one endangered and one invasive species of fish.
Anthony Nguyen, 49, entered guilty pleas to 2020 charges of interstate trafficking in illegally possessed or transported fish and creating a false record.
Nguyen is charged with violating the federal Lacey Act in 2019 by selling the invasive snakehead fish.
The Lacey Act makes it unlawful to knowingly import, export, sell or buy any fish or wildlife taken in violation of any state or federal law or regulation.
While snakeheads are native to Asia, they have been introduced into freshwater habitats in this country. Pennsylvania law prohibits possession snakeheads.
According to the Department of Justice, arowana are the most expensive freshwater fish on earth, with some specimens selling for tens of thousands of dollars.
Arowana, according to Nguyen’s indictment, is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Nguyen owned and operated a Pittsburgh business, Ichiban Tropical Fish, specializing in the sale of rare and exotic freshwater tropical fish species.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge.
