(Courtesy: U.S. Attorney's Office)
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LOS ANGELES -- Sentencing has been postponed for a Garden Grove man who tried to smuggle songbirds into the United States from Vietnam by hiding them in his pants.
Sonny Dong, 46, is facing up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing, which was set to take place Monday, has been pushed to June 21.
Last September, Dong pleaded guilty to federal charges of illegally importing wildlife. He was arrested at LAX on April 13, 2009 after customs agents found 14 birds concealed underneath his clothing and strapped to his legs during a flight from Vietnam to Los Angeles.
Prosecutors say Dong had bird feathers and droppings on his socks, and tail feathers were peeking out from under his pants.
Three red-whiskered bulbuls, four magpie-robins and six shama thrush were among the birds that were quarantined. The red-whiskered bulbul is listed as an injurious species under federal law, meaning it presents a health risk to humans, forestry or agriculture.
The investigation started in late 2008, when customs officials at LAX found luggage allegedly abandoned by Dong that contained 18 birds, five of which were dead, court papers show.
Co-defendant Duc Le, 34, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the case. He faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on June 21.
Le was linked to Dong and charged after investigators found an outdoor aviary consisting of 70 large bird cages that contained 51 Asian songbirds inside his Garden Grove home, according to court papers.
If convicted of the charges contained in the indictment, Le had faced a statutory maximum sentence of 26 years in federal prison.
Federal law requires that all wildlife, including birds, be declared to customs at the port of arrival.
Both men are free on bond, and the birds are in quarantine, prosecutors said.
Sonny Dong, 46, is facing up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing, which was set to take place Monday, has been pushed to June 21.
Last September, Dong pleaded guilty to federal charges of illegally importing wildlife. He was arrested at LAX on April 13, 2009 after customs agents found 14 birds concealed underneath his clothing and strapped to his legs during a flight from Vietnam to Los Angeles.
Prosecutors say Dong had bird feathers and droppings on his socks, and tail feathers were peeking out from under his pants.
Three red-whiskered bulbuls, four magpie-robins and six shama thrush were among the birds that were quarantined. The red-whiskered bulbul is listed as an injurious species under federal law, meaning it presents a health risk to humans, forestry or agriculture.
The investigation started in late 2008, when customs officials at LAX found luggage allegedly abandoned by Dong that contained 18 birds, five of which were dead, court papers show.
Co-defendant Duc Le, 34, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the case. He faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on June 21.
Le was linked to Dong and charged after investigators found an outdoor aviary consisting of 70 large bird cages that contained 51 Asian songbirds inside his Garden Grove home, according to court papers.
If convicted of the charges contained in the indictment, Le had faced a statutory maximum sentence of 26 years in federal prison.
Federal law requires that all wildlife, including birds, be declared to customs at the port of arrival.
Both men are free on bond, and the birds are in quarantine, prosecutors said.
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