Canadian Man Who Smuggled Turtles in His Pants From Michigan Sentenced to Prison

I missed this story back in 2014: 27-year-old Canadian man, Kai Xu, was arrested for repeatedly entering Michigan and buying and shipping thousands of turtles to China.

He was once caught at the Detroit-Windsor border with 51 turtles taped to his legs and groin under his sweatpants. 

Kai Xu was sentenced today in Ann Arbor federal court to five years in prison, The Detroit Free Press reports.

Before the sentencing, Xu asked the judge for leniency, saying he sold turtles to make money for college.

While it's not illegal to buy turtles from breeders, it is illegal to ship them overseas without a federal permit.

According to the Detroit News, some of the turtles were endangered and worth $1,800 each-- and could be worth up to 3 times as much in China.