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Feds take bite out of piranha dealer's wallet

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Nov 01, 2007 - 09:08:46 pm CDT

A Lincoln man must pay $10,000 in fines for selling several hundred flesh-eating fish to Floridians.

Brandon Rodgers, 26, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in September to transporting piranha from Nebraska, where they would die in winter if introduced into the wild, to Florida, where they would not.

The importation or possession of piranha is illegal in Florida and most every other warm weather state. Doing so is a federal violation of the Lacey Act, which in part regulates the importation of birds and animals into foreign habitats.

Story Photo
(photos.com)

Rodgers was sentenced Thursday by U.S. Magistrate Judge David Piester to three years probation and $10,000 restitution. Rodgers, who according to his myspace.com page operates an Internet-based company called Rodgers Aquatics, is banned from commercial dealings in fish or wildlife while on probation.

Between April 1, 2005, and June 15, 2007, Rodgers sold and shipped about 300 piranha to Florida and other states, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He knowingly sold the fish to customers in illegal states through Internet sites such as eBay.

The $10,000 fine will be split evenly between the Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers fund and the Nebraska Game and Parks investigative cash fund.


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Phish wrote on November 1, 2007 9:56 pm:
" Now that's what I call a fishy situation! Ha-ha-ha-ha...I'm an idiot. "

 Just wondering wrote on November 2, 2007 12:23 am:
" Does anyone know how big these things get? Would they be suitable for a small farm pond (about 2 acres)? Will they hit artificial lures or jigs? "

 Steve Perry wrote on November 2, 2007 7:41 am:
" That bites! "

 Wait a second... wrote on November 2, 2007 7:52 am:
" Can the piranha eat all the alligators that are terrorizing and devouring joggers, golfers, and little kids in Florida?! At leat they will be safe, if they DON'T GO IN THE WATER!!!! "

 Brian wrote on November 2, 2007 8:43 am:
" Just wondering: These can can get 12 inches long or a little longer, and they're a powerful fish. They'd hit lures if they were hungry enough, but you'd definately need a steel leader because they'd bite right through the line. They really like gold fish and minnows. "

 UM wrote on November 2, 2007 10:23 am:
" piranha are not that bad of fish they live side by side with other wildlife the reason why they are banned from those states is because they disrupt the natual wildlife and can breed very fast "

 Tim wrote on November 2, 2007 10:24 am:
" Just wondering, Imagine them as bluegill with teeth. 10-12 inches is pretty big, with the occasional freak growing even bigger. Yes they will hit lures but I'd do some research before introducing them into a farm pond. "

 Jeff wrote on November 2, 2007 8:40 pm:
" Yes, it's true that piranha would die in the wild in Neb. and not in Florida. But what does that have to do with the price of tea in China? The beginning of the article suggests that Rogers was sending the piranha to Florida to save their lives. I imagine that he was only selling to people to have as pets in their homes, not to introduce them into "the wild". I am not condoning Rogers'decision to sell to illegal states. This comment is only meant to put his crime into better context for your readers. "

 SF wrote on November 2, 2007 9:16 pm:
" Another upstanding citizen dealing in exotic wildlife.....greeeeat. "

 Mary wrote on November 3, 2007 10:41 am:
" So, what about the people who bought the fish? Did the Feds check with the probably 100 or less people who bought in Florida (because nobody buys just one) to see if they were in aquariums in their homes? Did they check to see if any had actually been released into the wild? And what about terrorists, murderers, rapists, child molesters, etc. Wouldn't that be a better use of time & money by the Feds than fish? "

 John Smith wrote on November 6, 2007 2:39 pm:
" Brandon was selling these fish to fish hobbiest who could not buy them locally in Florida and other such states. The fish were not going to be relesed into the wild as this article may suggest, Brandon was just helping them to get what they wanted. That does not make it right in any way, and it was illegal to do so, but I just thought I would help to clarify the situation sinch I know Mr. Rodgers quite well. "

 dick johnson wrote on November 12, 2007 11:02 am:
" Nobody was releasing a new species into an environment. The guy was selling fish to hobbiests. Hobbiests should be able to register their fish in these states. This kind of crap is absurd. Leave Brandon alone! "

 Joe M wrote on November 19, 2007 10:40 pm:
" The News Media has a way of sensationalizing events to sell their papers. Credibility is lost and the public yawns. I wonder if the so called reporter made any attempt to talk to this "evil fish dealer" before he wrote the article. But alas, that might bring more balance to an already slanted story..The typical media M.O. It's what the public has come to expect. "

 Brandon wrote on November 24, 2007 12:31 am:
" The piranhas in mention were 1" Red Belly Piranhas, and had they been released into they wild, they would have certainly b een eaten by bluegill, crappie, or bass. They did not stand a chance. "

 Becka wrote on December 8, 2007 3:59 pm:
" "flesh-eating"?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Puh-lease!! Maybe in groups of 50, and if they've been starved. The likelyhood of that scenario, slim to none. Besides, tell the 2 piranha that I'm raising in my home that they're flesh-eating, and as you approached their tanks, they'd run for cover! So what if they can breed quickly, like it was said, they were about an inch long, and Red Belly Piranhas can't breed till at least 8" and before they hit that size, they'd be eaten. Because he knowingly did something illegal, then his trouble is on his own plate, but don't blame the fish for peoples' carelessness!! "

 rba wrote on April 22, 2008 9:48 pm:
" Piranhas can get to about 12" give or take. "

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