Written By

Nicole Muehlhausen

May 13, 2008  

 
Two east Metro women were indicted Monday in connection with smuggling protected wildlife into the state.

Pa Lor of Oakdale and 36-year-old Tia Yang of Lake Elmo were each charged Monday with one count of conspiracy to smuggle wildlife and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute steroids.

Their indictment alleges that from 2005 to 2006, the two women brought wildlife into the state and sold them at the International Marketplace in St. Paul. The women sold elephants, giant squirrels, leopard cats, mongooses, and flying squirrels.

Over a span of two years, investigators purchased wildlife from Lor at a booth in the International Marketplace, a booth leased by Yang.

In 2006, authorities executed a search warrant at the market booth and recovered a black-striped weasel, gibbon, leaf monkey, monitor lizard, tapir, slider turtles, and small-clawed otter.

The two women also illegally purchased 184 units of a substance containing steroids.

If convicted, both Lor and Yang face potential maximum penalties of five years in prison on the smuggling count and five years on the steroid count.