A US federal grand jury has charged a New York man, Christopher Casacci, with trafficking in African wild cats.
Assistant Attorney-General, Jeffrey Clark, and US Attorney James Kennedy Jr of the Western District of New York, announced the indictment in a statement published on the website of the Department of justice.
Casacci, 38, is accused of violating the Lacey Act and the US Animal Welfare Act by trafficking the animals in interstate commerce.
The suspect, said to be an animal dealer, allegedly imported and sold dozens of caracals and servals, both wild cat species, in interstate trade between February and June, 2018.
The two species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), according to the attorneys
They said that their possession in commercial quantity and sale was restricted under New York state law.
“People and businesses dealing in animals are required to comply with humane care standards under the Animal Welfare Act.
“Casacci failed to do so, and failed to secure the necessary license from the US Department of Agriculture.
“Casacci was charged with violating the Animal Welfare Act for selling animals without a license showing minimum compliance with humane treatment standards,’’ they said.
The suspect is also facing charges of concealing his business by falsely declaring the animals as domesticated breeds, such as savannah cats and bengal cats, on shipping records.
Also known as the “desert lynx”, caracals are wild cats native to Africa, and grow to approximately 45 pounds, according to the statement.
Servals, on the other hand, also wild cats native to Africa, grow to approximately 40 pounds, they added.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
