(8/7/98)
The Orange County Register
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A Mission Viejo man arrested after 57 live geckos were discovered in his kayak at LAX has pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling the rare reptiles.
Adrian Sheldon Cunningham, 43, admitted to U.S. District Court Judge Edward Rafeedie that he brought the geckos, valued at $85,000, into the country illegally. He was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in May when customs agents, acting on a tip, discovered the geckos in the collapsible kayak.
Cunningham entered the plea after Assistant United State Attorney William Carter informed the court that his office will recommend a sentence of four months to 10 months in prison. Rafeedie is not bound by the recommendation when he imposes sentence, now scheduled for Oct. 22.