A Freehold man pleaded guilty Wednesday in a scheme to smuggle more than 1,000 box turtles that were illegally collected in Oklahoma.

William T. Gangemi knowingly facilitated the purchase and transport of the three-toed and western box turtles from Oklahoma to New Jersey to sell the creatures for profit, according to the United States Attorney’s Office in Tulsa. The 26-year-old was part of a syndicate of wildlife smugglers that trafficked in protected turtles.

Under a plea agreement, Gangemi agreed to pay $250,000 in restitution to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and a $100,000 fine to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to federal authorities. Final amounts will be set at a Jan. 27 sentencing in Oklahoma federal court.

“Oklahomans respect and value wildlife, and we don’t appreciate those who would seek to exploit our vulnerable wildlife populations for their corrupt greed. Laws created by Congress to protect wildlife, like the box turtle, will be enforced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Defendant Gangemi flagrantly violated state and federal laws by illegally collecting and exporting box turtles to the black market,” U.S. Attorney Trent Shores said in a statement.

Federal officials said Gangemi’s crime violated the federal Lacey Act, which prohibits the purchase or sale of illegally gathered wildlife with a market value of more than $350.

Gangemi also pleaded guilty to additional federal charges for trafficking wildlife in South Carolina and New Jersey, according to officials. A 2016 scheme included hiding about $410,000 in rare or endangered turtles in candy wrappers or socks and shipping them overseas, involving dealers in Hong Kong, the Carolinas and New York.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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