Florida men caught stealing 93 sea turtle eggs, report says

Two men were arrested in Florida after allegedly trying to steal nearly 100 sea turtle eggs right off a beach.

Bruce Bivins was spotted Sunday using his hands to dig objects out of the sand in Riviera Beach, according to a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission affidavit obtained by the Palm Beach Post.

The agent that filed the report said a bag Bivens was carrying while he was perusing the shoreline “looked heavy and was dropping as if there were objects in it.”

Bivens later was tracked down to a truck driven by Carl Cobb and investigators found 93 sea turtle eggs inside the sandy, black bag, the affidavit added.

Two men have been arrested in Florida after allegedly trying to steal sea turtle eggs, like these shown here. (VW PICS/UIG via Getty Images)

MASSIVE LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE SPOTTED NESTING ON FLORIDA BEACH 

Bivins and Cobb were each charged with unlawful possession of more than 11 sea turtle eggs, which is a third-degree felony. They were booked into a local jail then released on $3,000 bonds, according to the Palm Beach Post.

The newspaper says sea turtle eggs often are stolen to be sold for consumption, while others believe they can be used as an aphrodisiac.

Both suspects in the case are 63 years old – and it’s not the first time either has had a run-in with the law regarding sea turtle eggs.

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In 2018, Cobb was sentenced to seven months in prison after a conviction on two counts of transporting sea turtle eggs, the newspaper reported.

Bivins was sentenced to 90 days in jail for misdemeanor possession of marine turtle eggs in 1997. He was arrested in 2009 after he was found carrying a bag of 119 turtle eggs, but the state didn’t pursue charges in the case.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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