A South Florida man faces federal charges for allegedly helping to illegally ship Florida spiny lobster to China.
The Palm Beach Post reports that Eric Burman of Boca Raton pleaded not guilty to the charges last week. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $250,000 fine.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Burman "was engaged in the wholesale commercial seafood industry, including the export of live Florida spiny lobster to the seafood market in China."
Spiny lobster is a delicacy that fetches high prices in many Asian markets.
According to court documents, Burman allegedly bought the lobster in 2010 from harvesters in the Florida Keys without providing proper documentation to the state.
