Asian wildlife ‘artist’ jailed

published by asingh on Tue, 03/06/2012 - 22:01

An American artist from Miami, Florida, known for creating exotic taxidermies of wildlife, was sentenced to 20 months in prison last week, for illegal trafficking of threatened wildlife.

Enrique Gomez De Molina, entered a plea agreement in the US District Court, Southern District over charges stemming from several illegal imports of threatened wildlife from several Asian countries including; Bali, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and China, as well as Canada.

According to a press release from the US Fish and Wildlife service, in 2009 multiple packages were intercepted on their way to De Molina’s address, and as a result of forensic testing

De Molina showcased his work at his downtown Miami studio, eventually selling some of the taxidermy artwork on the internet and through galleries for up to $80,000 per piece. According to one report, De Molina’s work was on display during Miami’s Art Basel week at the Scope Art Fair. His work is also showcased on Troyabbott.com, a website dedicated to digital birdcages and graphic art, the Examiner reported.

“For years, De Molina illegally imported parts and remains of endangered and threatened species, including a cobra, a pangolin, hornbills, and the skulls of babirusa and orangutans, and used them to create taxidermy pieces that he sold for as much as $80,000,” said U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer. On his personal website, De Molina claims that his artwork brings him both “joy” and “sadness”, the latter because, “we are destroying all of these beautiful things.”

In addition to the 20-month sentence, De Molina was fined $6,000 and placed on probation for one year.