A 54-year-old Hong Kong man was sentenced on Friday, March 14, in downtown Los Angeles to two years and six months behind bars after wildlife inspectors at a Torrance mail facility intercepted packages containing 40 protected eastern box turtles addressed to one of his purported aliases in China.

Sai Keung Tin pleaded guilty in December 2024 to four federal counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Tin illegally aided in trying to send the turtles from the United States to China, according to an indictment. Wildlife inspectors intercepted four packages addressed to “Ji Yearlong,” a name believed to be one of Tin’s aliases, and shipped to Tin’s home in Hong Kong, court documents say.

Tin labeled the packages containing the turtles as containing almonds and chocolate cookies.