The owner-operator of Ichiban Tropical Fish store in Pittsburgh pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of trafficking endangered and invasive fish.
Anthony Nguyen, 49, of Pittsburgh — who also goes by JoJo Nguyen or Jackie Lee — faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge.
He was alleged to have trafficked endangered Asian arowana and invasive snakehead fish.
His store specialized in the sale of rare and exotic freshwater tropical fish species, according to the case summary.
During the plea hearing, Nguyen admitted to violating the Lacey Act — which prohibits the trafficking of illegal wildlife — in 2016 when he sold Asian arowana fish, which were illegally imported.
The arowana is native to Southeast Asia and considered the most expensive freshwater fish in the world, the case summary said.
Nguyen admitted to violating the Lacey Act for selling invasive and injurious snakehead fish in 2019. Nguyen also will accept responsibility for falsifying documents in relation to the shipment of snakehead fish.
Snakehead fish are native to Asia but were introduced into the U.S. via freshwater habitats.
Nguyen's sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 1.
First Published: July 21, 2021, 2:50 p.m.