A Fountain Valley man is expected to plead not guilty Thursday to federal charges of illegally bringing 93 Asian songbirds on a flight from Vietnam — most of which died in transit or soon after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport.
Kurtis Law, 49, who also maintains a home in Vietnam, allegedly attempted to smuggle the tiny birds into the country on March 24.
According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, investigators found in Law’s luggage several species of protected songbirds covered under the federal Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The complaint alleges that the birds were placed in Law’s suitcases in a way “that allowed each bird little or no movement,” and all but eight of the 93 birds ultimately died.