Portland, ME – A Greene man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to running a black-market operation that trafficked whale and bird parts across the United States, prosecutors said.

Sergey Bachkovsky admitted in U.S. District Court that from June 2023 through March 2024 he imported and sold restricted wildlife products online, including sperm whale teeth, blue whale and minke whale ear bones, scrimshaw carvings, and a broad-winged hawk carcass. Court documents also revealed that he intended to sell additional items such as bear teeth, whale vertebrae, and wings and feathers from eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures.

Federal officials said the scheme violated the Lacey Act, a longstanding law that bans trade in wildlife obtained illegally under U.S. or state rules. The sperm whale and blu

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