Base de datos de jurisprudencia

Blanqueo de dinero

Delitos

• Conversión/transferencia del producto del delito

Participación en un grupo delictivo organizado

Delitos

• Acuerdo para cometer un delito grave (confabulación)

Delitos que afectan al medio ambiente

Especies afectadas

• Lobsters

United States v McNab, Blandford, Schoenwetter and Huang

Resumen de los hechos

McNab owned and operated a fleet of lobster fishing boats that harvested Caribbean spiny lobster in Honduran fishing waters. In violation of conservation regulations imposed by the Republic of Hondurus, McNab's fleet harvested lobsters, including egg-bearing lobsters and lobsters with tails less than 5 1/2 inches in length, packed frozen lobsters in bulk plastic bags and loaded them onto McNab's transport vessel the Caribbean Clipper.

Some of the lobster tails were handled in compliance with Honduran reporting, inspection and processing requirements but others were transported aboard the Caribbean Clipper in unprocessed bulk bags to Bayou la Batre, Alabama, for delivery to Seamerica Corporation, the company of Robert Blandford.

Once the lobster tails were in the United States, Blandford and a colleague, Abner Schoenwetter, resold the shipments to the American Export Import Corporation, through petitioner Diane Huang, and to other US companies.

Following an anonymous tip-off, in February 1999, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) began looking into the matter and in March 1999 seized a lobster shipment described in the tip-off based on verifications by Honduran officials that the lobster shipment was illegal under Honduran law.

In mid 1999, Honduran officials met with NMFS agents and confirmed the lobsters had been exported illegally. Similar confirmation was undertaken by NMFS agents themselves in September 1999.

Based on the NMFS's investigation and the verification of the applicable foreign laws by the Honduran officials charges with regulating the lobster fishing industry, the US decided to prosecute petitioners for their roles in the illegal importing scheme.  

Comentario y aspectos destacados

The case demonstrates the importance of successful cross-jurisidiction communication and cooperation in combating wildlife trafficking. It raises issues of application and enforcement of foreign laws in United States.

Cuestiones transversales

Responsabilidad

Responsabilidad por

• Delito consumado

Base de responsabilidad

• Intención dolosa

Responsabilidad implica

• Delincuentes principales

Delincuente/Delito

Detalles

• Ocurrió a través de uno (o más) de las fronteras internacionales (transnacional)

Países interesados

Estados Unidos de América

Honduras

Investigación

Incautación y decomiso

Observaciones

Shipments at issue in this case involved approximately 400,000 pounds of spiny lobsters, with a value of approximately $4.6 million.

 

Consideraciones de igualdad de género

Detalles

• Consideraciones relacionadas con el género
• Mujeres como infractoras principales

Información sobre el procedimiento

Sistema jurídico:
Derecho anglosajón
Última sentencia judicial:
Tribunal de apelación
Tipo de Proceso:
Otro
Los acusados fueron juzgados:
juntos (juicio único)
 
 
Proceder #1:
  • Fase:
    primer proceso
  • Tribunal

    Título de la Tribunal

    United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama

     
    • Penal

    Descripción

    Following a jury trial in the US District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, the four petitioners were convicted of conspirary, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371 and other federal offences arising from violation of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (Lacey Act), 16 U.S.C. 3371.

     

    Resultado

  • Veredicto:
    Culpable
  • Proceder #2:
  • Fase:
    apelación
  • Código de referencia oficial de la causa:
    McNab v USA, Blandford, Schoenwetter and Huang v USA 331 F.3d 1228
  • Tribunal

    Título de la Tribunal

    United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

     

    Descripción

    Court of appeals affirmed the convictions. Most significantly:

    1. The court held that the Lacey Act’s prohibition against importing, exporting, transporting,selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing in interstate or foreign commerce fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold “in violation of any foreign law” includes foreign regulations and other legally binding requirements that have the force of law, and not just foreign statutes.

    2. The court rejected petitioners’ contentions that three of the five Honduran laws underlying their convictions were invalid during the period covered by the indictment.

     

    Resultado

    Otro resultado

    Upheld

     

    Acusado / Demandado de primera instancia

    Acusado:
    David Henson McNab
    Sexo:
    Hombre
    Acusado:
    Robert D. Blandford
    Sexo:
    Hombre
    Acusado:
    Abner Schoenwetter
    Sexo:
    Hombre
    Acusado:
    Diane Huang
    Sexo:
    Mujer

    Cargos/Acusaciones/Decisiones

    Acusado:
    David Henson McNab
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C 371

    Detalles de cargos:

    Conspiracy

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C. 545

    Detalles de cargos:

    Knowingly importing merchandise into the US contrary to 18 U.S.C 545

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    16 U.S.C. 3371 (Lacey Act)

    Detalles de cargos:

    Dealing in fish and wildlife he knew were unlawfully taken, possessed, transported or sold pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B) and dealing in fish and wildlife that he should have known were unlawfully taken, possessed transported or sold, 16 U.S.C 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(2).

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C 1957

    Detalles de cargos:

    Engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C 1957, 1956(h)

    Detalles de cargos:

    Conspiring to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Pena de prisión:
    8 años 1 Mes
    Acusado:
    Robert D. Blandford
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C. 371

    Detalles de cargos:

    Conspiracy

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    8 U.S.C. 545

    Detalles de cargos:

    Knowingly importing merchandise into the US contrary to 18 U.S.C 545

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C 1957

    Detalles de cargos:

    Engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C 1957, 1956(h)

    Detalles de cargos:

    Conspiring to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Pena de prisión:
    8 años 1 Mes
    Acusado:
    Abner Schoenwetter
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C. 371

    Detalles de cargos:

    Conspiracy

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    8 U.S.C. 545

    Detalles de cargos:

    Knowingly importing merchandise into the US contrary to 18 U.S.C 545

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Pena de prisión:
    8 años 1 Mes
    Acusado:
    Diane Huang
    Legislación/Código:

    18 U.S.C. 371

    Detalles de cargos:

    Conspiracy

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Legislación/Código:

    16 U.S.C. 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(2); 16 U.S.C. 3372(d), 3373(d)(3)(A)(i)

    Detalles de cargos:

    Violating the Lacey Act by: (1) dealing in fish and wildlife that she should have known were unlawfully taken, possessed, transported, or sold, 16 U.S.C. 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(2); and (2) falsely labeling fish or wildlife, 16 U.S.C. 3372(d), 3373(d)(3)(A)(i).

    Veredicto:
    Guilty
    Pena de prisión:
    2 años