DENVER—A federal grand jury in Denver has indicted two South Dakota men on charges of smuggling leopard parts in violation of an international treaty.
Wayne D. Breitag of Aberdeen and Jerry L. Mason of Frankfort also were charged with violating a federal wildlife statute. Mason is charged with smuggling a leopard hide and skull. Breitag is charged with smuggling a hide.
The indictment says Breitag and Mason hunted leopards without a permit in South Africa in 2002 while guided by Jan Groenewald Swart. Prosecutors say Swart then arranged to smuggle the hides and skull into Zimbabwe, where he bought fraudulent export permits for them. The items were seized at Denver International Airport.
Swart is serving an 18-month sentence on smuggling charges.
