Sperm Whale Photo: National Wildlife Federation
Whale of a Tale: South Carolina Man Caught Flipping Sperm Whale Teeth on eBay for Thousands
By James Seidel | Crime and Cask News Network
CHARLESTON, SC — South Carolina Man Caught Flipping Sperm Whale: In a story that could only happen in the Lowcountry, a Saint Helena Island man is facing serious federal charges after authorities say he illegally imported and sold parts of one of the ocean’s most iconic creatures—the endangered sperm whale.
Lauren H. DeLoach, 69, pleaded guilty in federal court to violating both the Lacey Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) for running an under-the-sea black market business involving sperm whale teeth and bones—and not the kind of souvenirs you’d expect from a day at the beach.
A Whale of a Scheme
From September 2021 through September 2024, DeLoach allegedly smuggled in at least 30 shipments of whale parts from places like Australia, Latvia, Norway, and Ukraine. To avoid raising red flags with U.S. Customs, he had his suppliers falsely label the shipments as “plastic.”
Translation: He was trying to whale-tail it past the feds with mislabeled boxes of endangered ivory.
Then, from July 2022 to September 2024, he allegedly listed and sold at least 85 items on eBay for over $18,000—a literal treasure chest of tusks, teeth, and bones. When federal agents raided DeLoach’s home, they seized another $20,000 worth of illegal whale parts.
Apparently, the only thing more endangered than the whales was his common sense.
⚖️ The Laws He Flouted
The Lacey Act—the country’s oldest wildlife protection law—prohibits selling any animal product that was illegally imported. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) bans importing marine mammal parts into the U.S. unless it’s for research, education, or species survival.
Sperm whales, listed as endangered since 1970, are protected under U.S. law and the CITES treaty, a global agreement between 183 countries to protect threatened wildlife. Despite this, DeLoach apparently saw more value in whale teeth than in conservation.
Prosecutors Blow the Whistle
“Whales are among the most iconic species on Earth, and also among the most vulnerable,” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “The illicit trade in whale teeth contributes to the monetization of animals that are supposed to be protected.”
“This wasn’t just beachcombing gone bad,” added Acting U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews. “This was an elaborate, multi-year trafficking scheme designed to profit off an endangered species—clearly violating both federal and international law.”
From Mystic to Misstep
One of the more bizarre details? Authorities say DeLoach specifically asked suppliers to disguise shipments to avoid seizure—a shady sleight of hand that might’ve required a psychic of his own to get away with.
Despite his attempts to cover his tracks, Operation Raw Deal—a federal task force cracking down on illegal marine mammal sales—caught DeLoach mid-flip.
What’s Next
DeLoach pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David C. Norton, who will sentence him at a later date. He faces:
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Up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the Lacey Act felony
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Up to one year in prison for the misdemeanor MMPA charge
Prosecutors include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle Klein and Winston Holliday, along with Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the DOJ’s Environmental Crimes Section.
Crime and Cask View
Let’s be clear: This wasn’t a guy selling seashells by the seashore. This was a coastal collectibles hustle that took advantage of endangered species and international trade loopholes to rake in profits—on eBay, no less.
South Carolina’s coastline already has a sordid history of shady schemes, and now it adds one more: Sperm whale smuggling. It’s not a phrase we thought we’d write, but here we are.
And yes—he really tried to pass whale bones off as “plastic.” And that deserves jail time just for being dumb.
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