Worcester Shell Boss Sentenced In Turtle Smuggling Case

WORCESTER, MA — A man accused of illegally importing and exporting exotic Asian reptiles was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to charges of illegally importing and exporting endangered species.

Nathan Boss, 27, who sometimes went by the alias "Shelton Boss," was sentenced to time served, plus two years of supervised release. The first five months of the supervised release will be served at home, according to prosecutors.

The case dates back to December 2017, when customs officers at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City intercepted a package bound for Massachusetts containing 24 newts inside — 22 of them were dead.

READ: 22 Dead Newts: MA Man Accused Of Smuggling Chinese Animals

That was just one of several shipments Boss either received or sent to Sweden and Hong Kong. He trafficked in species like the endangered black-breasted leaf turtle, and a type of salamander banned in the U.S. due to a fungus it grows, according to prosecutors.

Boss, 27, pleaded guilty in June to wildlife smuggling charges, and one charge of lying to federal investigators.