New book tells tale of South Florida reptile importer/smuggler
August 12th, 2008 by admin
“The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers” is a new book by Bryan Christy about the illegal reptile trade. The book is a true-crime story about Michael Van Nostrand, the owner of Strictly Reptiles, a Broward County-based reptile wholesaler and one of, if not the largest importer of iguanas and other reptiles in the U.S.
The book covers events that occurred during the 90s, and although Van Nostrand served an eight-month prison sentence and paid a $250,000 fine for involvement in the illegal smuggling of rare reptiles, he never left the business. Last month a federal judge in Fort Lauderdale fined Strictly Reptiles $5,000 and placed the business on two years probation for illegally selling undersized turtles (the sale of small turtles is restricted due to the link between the animals and salmonella in children). Click here to learn more about the book and author.
On Thursday evening, August 14, author Bryan Christy will read from The Lizard King at Books & Books in Coral Gables. Call the bookstore at (305) 442-4408 for details.