A former West Hills resident is expected to plead guilty today to a federal charge related to the illegal trafficking of the world’s largest freshwater fish, a South American species known as Arapaima gigas.
Isaac Zimerman, a 66-year-old American citizen, was extradited from Mexico in September to face charges contained in a 13-count indictment that alleges he used his company, Hawthorne-based River Wonders LLC, to import piranhas and river stingrays into the United States.
In his plea agreement, Zimerman admitted possessing those fish in California, which were advertised for sale and shipped to customers in states outside of California. The indictment also contains allegations that Zimerman engaged in additional criminal conduct related to the falsification of documents, obstruction of proceedings, false statements and smuggling of protected Arapaima gigas while on pre-trial release.
Zimerman was initially charged in 2009, along with his company and his wife. Leonor Catalina Zimerman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor offense in 2010, and her husband fled the United States that same year after prosecutors filed additional charges alleging that he continued to illegally export fish while on bond, according to federal prosecutors.
Special agents with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service tracked Zimerman’s movements through Europe, to Israel and eventually to Mexico.
On March 3, concluding a four-year manhunt, Zimerman was arrested near Metepec, Mexico. During his flight to avoid prosecution, Zimerman had changed his appearance and took other steps to avoid detection and arrest, authorities allege.
The Mexican government permitted Zimerman to be extradited to the United States on two of the felony charges related to the illegal exportation of Arapaima gigas.
Zimerman will face up to 10 years in federal prison at his sentencing hearing, which will be scheduled after he pleads guilty today to one of the fish smuggling charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Leonor Zimerman, who pleaded guilty in 2010 to a misdemeanor count of illegal fish trafficking, was sentenced in January 2011 to 21 months of probation and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
