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Jun Yang, 36, of
Richmond, British Columbia, pleaded guilty in August to one
felony count of illegally importing 17 fossil specimens into the
United States, one of them dating back at least 100 million
years, according to federal court documents.
Yang admitted as part of his plea bargain that the smuggled
items were transported from China by freighter inside shipping
containers and placed on display at the 2015 Tucson Gem and
Mineral Show.
The entire collection was valued at about $22,000 and included a
specimen of Psittacosaurus, a small, bristle-tailed,
plant-eating dinosaur excavated from central China and priced at
$15,000, federal prosecutors said.
Sixteen fossil eggs from a duck-billed dinosaur called a
Hadrosaur were sold at $450 apiece at the gem show, prosecutors
said.
Yang's lawyer, Michael Harwin, said he was satisfied with the
plea deal and the sentence.
The gem and mineral show is a popular attraction for visitors
and collectors from across the country and beyond, drawing tens
of thousands of people to Tucson for the annual two-week event.
(Editing by Steve Gorman and Joseph Radford)
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