BRANDON, Fla. (WFLA) — A Brandon man was convicted on three counts of trafficking migratory birds in “Operation Ornery Birds II”, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Ernesto Gonzalez Campos, 36, was the most recent conviction, among five other suspects who have already been sentenced.
According to court documents, Campos captured, sold, and traded protected migratory songbirds that he trapped from the wild.
Between 2020 and 2021, Campos sold and traded indigo bunting, painted buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and blue grosbeaks at least three times, the DOJ said. All these birds are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Before his arrest, four other Tampa Bay area suspects and an Ocala suspect pleaded guilty and were sentenced for buying, selling, or bartering protected birds.
- Jorge Luis Mena Graveram Sr., 59, of St. Pete was sentenced Aug. 8 to time served, a year of supervised release, and a $200 fine
- Eliernesto Baez Garcia, 29, of St. Pete was sentenced Aug. 14 to time served, a year of supervised release, and a $200 fine
- Ariam Rodriguez Diaz, 32, of Ocala was sentenced Aug. 18 to a year of probation with a $1,000 fine
- Jorge Alberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 57, of Tampa was sentenced Sept. 6 to a year of probation with a $1,000 fine
- Adrian Michel Ortega Rodriguez, 42, of Tampa was sentenced Sept. 11 to a year of probation with a $500 fine
The operation was conducted and investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Lorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
