South Florida reptile dealer pleads guilty to wildlife smuggling

The 3,475 turtles illegaly sold by Van Nostrand include three-stripe mud turtles, Florida mud turtles, softshell turtles, musk turtles and chicken turtles, according to a statement submitted to the court that was signed by Van Nostrand. Their market value was about $245,000. The turtles were shipped to customers in Louisiana, California, Japan and China.