California Couple Convicted After In-Flight Chat Exposes Wildlife Crimes

A casual conversation with undercover wildlife officers led to the discovery of illegal animal trafficking and poaching activities.

Byron Lee Fitzpatrick, 24, and Shannon Lee Price, 28, discussed their illegal hunting activities with undercover wildlife officers during a 2023 flight from San Diego to Sacramento.
The couple admitted to smuggling the skull of an endangered green sea turtle and illegally hunting a protected mountain lion in California.
Searches of their Chico home and a relative's Napa County residence uncovered additional illegal wildlife items, including taxidermied protected species, mountain lion claws, and a mounted barn owl.
Both Fitzpatrick and Price pleaded guilty to state and federal wildlife violations, resulting in fines, probation, and forfeiture of all seized animal parts.
Wildlife officials emphasized the global implications of wildlife trafficking, noting its ties to transnational criminal organizations.