German pleads guilty to smuggling coral shipments from Philippines to Oregon

German pleads guilty in Oregon to coral smuggling

PORTLAND, Ore. — A German has pleaded guilty to smuggling more than 40 tons of coral fragments from the Philippines to Oregon.

Gunther Wenzek appeared in federal court in Portland on Wednesday on a plea agreement calling for him to pay more than $35,000 in fines and serve three years probation.

The 66-year-old Wenzek was arrested at a Washington, D.C., airport in February, while he was en route to a pet industry show in Florida.

Wenzek, the owner of CoraPet in Essen, Germany, was scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 5 in Portland.