A federal judge has sentenced a man out of Jackson County to 15-months in prison for the illegal trafficking of turtles.

59-year-old Christopher Cool shipped and sold over 600 eastern box turtles as pets to customers overseas, receiving an average of $100 per turtle.

When he was discovered in July of 2020, he had more than 200 turtles in his home that he planned on selling. Turtles can’t be imported or exported in the United States without the approval of federal wildlife authorities.