Manalo was sentenced to six months in prison, all suspended except one month, with credit for time served.
Manalo will be placed on three years of probation, pay a $1,000 fine, forfeit the fishing gear used to possess the turtle, and perform community work service.
He will not board a boat for fishing during the period of probation, and his spearfishing shall be limited and monitored by local conservation authorities.
Chief Prosecutor Michael Ernest credits numerous individuals and organizations for this success.
“This is the second of numerous pending convictions and sentences which directly result from the great job done by the conservation officers from the Department of Lands and Natural Resources. They have been doing an excellent job,” he said.
“People who would poach turtles should know that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We will be seeking jail time, and in some cases, significant sentences, against those who would poach turtles, fruitbats and other threatened and endangered species,” Ernest said.
He added, “The numbers of animals are dwindling; it is time to step up enforcement and seek jail for poachers.
Poachers should not expect probation. They should expect to serve significant time in jail.”
He said the Criminal Division is thankful for the assistance offered by Assistant Attorney General Eileen Escudero Wisor who is assigned to the Coral Reef Initiative and the numerous federal agencies that offered assistance: NOAA, USFWS, the FBI, the DEA and the Office of the United States Attorney, among others, all lent support.
“This is a serious issue that merits the attention it has received,” he said.
Ernest also thanked the Turtle Advocate and Guardian Society, a newly formed group and biologist John Starmer for their support on this investigation.
