Sale Of White Rhino Horns Lands Palm Harbor Man In Federal Prison

TAMPA, FL — A 36-year-old Palm Harbor man will spend a year in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to trafficking in the horns, tusks, skins and skulls of endangered wild animals.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington sentenced Steven Phillip Griffin II to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for receiving and transporting endangered species and possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.

The court also ordered Griffin to forfeit two pairs of southern white rhino horns, four African elephant ivory tusks, one African lion skull, three leopard skulls, 10 firearms and ammunition.

Griffin pleaded guilty to the charges on Nov. 10 after trying to sell parts of endangered and threatened wildlife to an undercover United States Fish & Wildlife Service special agent over a two-year period, according to the plea agreement.

The undercover agent said Griffin repeatedly claimed that he collected skulls, full skeletons and other parts of a variety of endangered and threatened wildlife including lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, rhinos and elephants.

Griffin also sent the undercover agent via text message numerous photographs of his personal collection, as well as items on his wish list.

In May 2019, Griffin drove to Texas where he met with undercover agents. During that meeting, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said he purchased two southern white rhino horns, four elephant ivory tusks, one African lion skull and three leopard skulls and brought them to his home in Palm Harbor.

Griffin paid the undercover agents $9,750 cash for the animal parts.

Afterward, the agents executed a federal search warrant at Griffin’s home and seized endangered and threatened animal parts, firearms and ammunition.

Griffin was previously convicted of a felony and was not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition.

“This sentence sends a clear message to wildlife traffickers that we and our law enforcement partners are in the business of identifying and apprehending those who exploit protected species for commercial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Phillip Land of the Fish & Wildlife Service.

Friday's announcement by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service came nearly three weeks after ZooTampa celebrated the birth of its eighth southern white rhino as part of the zoo's participation in the Species Survival Plan overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the survival of this protected species.

The southern white rhino population had dwindled to an estimated 50 to 200 at the beginning of the 20th century. But through conservation efforts, the population of white rhinos in their native range in Africa has rebounded to about 20,400 animals.

However, the species remains classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss and illegal poaching of their horns.

See related story: Endangered Baby Southern White Rhino Welcomed At Zoo Tampa