A Kaua’i man was arrested Thursday on federal charges stemming from injuries last November to two sea turtles, one of whom later died. Daniel Isobe, 34, was charged with knowingly and unlawfully taking and possessing adult Hawaiian Green sea turtles,
A Kaua’i man was arrested Thursday on federal charges stemming from injuries last November to two sea turtles, one of whom later died.
Daniel Isobe, 34, was charged with knowingly and unlawfully taking and possessing adult Hawaiian Green sea turtles, a threatened species covered under the Endangered Species Act enacted in 1973.
Steven S. Alm, United States attorney for the district of Hawai’i, said that if convicted, Isobe faces a maximum prison term of six months on each of the four counts.
The investigation leading to the charges against Isobe was conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the state Department of Conservation and Resource Enforcement, and the Kaua’i County Police Department.
Isobe was stopped by police on Nov. 2 while driving his truck. Two green sea turtles — a male and a female — were found with severe head injuries in the back of the truck.
At that time, Isobe was released because of lack of evidence.
The female turtle was euthanized because of the seriousness of its injuries.
Assistant U.S. attorney Craig Nakamura said Isobe remained in a federal cell Friday on Oahu, one day after the charges were brought against him.
Before Isobe can be released, “there are a bunch of conditions that he hasn’t fulfilled,” Nakamura said.
Isobe’s trial on the multiple charges has been set for May 1.
If convicted and sentenced to jail time, Isobe will be shipped to the mainland, Nakamura noted.
“There are no federal prisons in Hawai’i, so we send (defendants convicted of federal offenses) to the mainland, usually somewhere on the west coast,” Nakamura said.
Nakamura said he has prosecuted other Endangered Species Act offenders in the past few years, although none from Kaua’i.
“Not just for turtles, for all kinds of things (species). And people have gone to jail,” he added, noting the offenses are taken seriously.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
