New York Man Found Guilty of Keeping Live Sharks in Basement Pool to Sell on Underground Exotic Marketplace
NEW YORK, NY – According to reports, a Dutchess County, New York man was found guilty this week of keeping live sharks in his basement, housed in a 15-foot above-ground pool, with the intention of selling them on the underground exotic fish marketplace.
Joshua Seguine, 40, was smacked with a $5,000 fine after he was convicted Wednesday in the Town of LaGrange Justice Court of illegal trafficking.
Seguine had been discovered driving without a license in the state of Georgia in 2017 with five small sharks in the back of his truck; after admitting to authorities that he had planned to sell the sharks, an investigation was then launched by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Investigators subsequently discovered that Seguine had a 15-foot above-ground pool set up in his home basement containing seven sandbar sharks, deemed a “protected species” under NYS law. In addition, DEC officials also uncovered the fact that Seguine owned a business called Aquatic Apex Life L.L.C., through which he sold sharks to buyers via a website called MonsterFishKeepers.com.
The DEC also found several dead sharks, including two leopard sharks, one hammerhead shark, and the snout of a sawfish, which is an endangered species. The living sandbar sharks were transferred to the New York Aquarium at Coney Island.
While it is not illegal to own a shark, it is illegal to keep or sell protected or endangered species.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement upon Seguine’s conviction, saying
“The tide has turned for Joshua Seguine, who was convicted and held accountable for his unlawful acts. Let this serve as a loud and clear message: We will not tolerate anyone who preys on protected species to line their pockets.”
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