Smuggler faces prison time for hiding Asian songbirds under his pants on Vietnam flight to LA

Calif. man who hid birds in pants to be sentenced

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors are seeking six months in prison for a man who smuggled Asian songbirds into the U.S. by concealing them in his pants.

Sony Dong, of Garden Grove, and an accomplice are to be sentenced Monday afternoon in Los Angeles federal court.

The 46-year-old was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in March 2009 after a flight from Vietnam.

An inspector spotted bird droppings on Dong’s socks and saw feathers peeking out from under his pants. The live birds were held in cloth wrappings attached to his legs and calves.

Dong pleaded guilty last year to illegally importing wildlife.

Co-defendant Duc Le pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally import wildlife. He was accused of holding smuggled birds in his Garden Grove home.