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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A Canadian man has pleaded guilty to smuggling or attempting to smuggle thousands of turtles from southeastern Michigan, more than a year after he was caught at a border crossing with 51 of the reptiles taped to his body.

Kai Xu ordered turtles online and would travel to the U.S. to ship them to China or return with them to Canada.

The 27-year-old Xu pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Ann Arbor.

In 2014, Xu was caught with turtles taped to his body in plastic. It’s illegal to export wildlife from the U.S. without a license from the government.

Xu faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison although his sentence likely won’t be that high.

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This story has been corrected to delete reference to Xu being a student. The University of Waterloo says he’s not enrolled.

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from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1ODt7Si