Three men plead guilty to illegally trafficking in paddlefish
Three Colorado men pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to illegally trafficking in paddlefish caviar.
The men were caught in an undercover operation near Warsaw.
The Missouri DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted an investigation on an area known as “The Roadhouse” in Warsaw.
State and federal officers operated a paddlefish snagging business and sold them to people.
Paddlefish have suffered a steep decline in population due to over-fishing.
54-year-old Arkadiy Lvovskiy, 49-year-old Dmitri Elitchev, and 48-year-old Artour Magdessian all pleaded guilty to trafficking in paddlefish and eggs in violation of the Lacey Act.
