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Arizona Man Accused of Trading Protected Cacti for Drugs

According to a federal complaint filed this week, Jerrid William Maloy was part of a crime ring selling the plants to international buyers on eBay.

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An Arizona man stands accused of digging up protected cacti in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, selling them on eBay, and shipping them as “home decor” to buyers in various countries including China, Afghanistan, Russia, Cyprus, Thailand, France, and South Korea. According to a complaint filed this week in federal court, Jerrid William Maloy stole Cotton Top cactus, Barrel cactus, Pineapple cactus, and Hedgehog cactus over nearly two years and traded them for drugs with a suspect named William Starr Schwartz, who was convicted for his part in the scheme in 2019 and sentenced to 24 months in prison.

“All four species are protected by an international treaty, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” the complaint states. “The treaty was designed to regulate trade in plants and wild animals that cross borders between countries and safeguard certain species from over-exploitation.” Maloy, who is charged with theft of property from the United States, does not yet have a lawyer listed in court records and was unable to be reached for comment.

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