Limerick man accused of trafficking rhino horn seeks bail as Covid-19 halts extradition to US

A LIMERICK man who is wanted in the United States for the alleged trafficking of endangered black rhino horn, is willing to have himself extradited to America, the High Court has heard. 

John Slattery, 30, who changed his name to John Flynn by deed poll in recent years, is currently in custody awaiting his surrender to US officials. However, the handover cannot occur at present due to the Covid-19 crisis. 

Mr Slattery, from Old Barrack View, Fairhill, Rathkeale is accused of committing three offences in the US relating to wildlife trafficking. 

US authorities allege that he and two others travelled to a taxidermy shop in Austin, Texas, to buy the horns.

It is alleged that the men bought the horns for $18,000 and then travelled to New York and sold them for $50,000.

The men were initially unable to buy the horns because they were not local residents so they enlisted the help of a Texas man - a “straw buyer” - to complete the purchase, according to US authorities.

It is alleged that between April 2010 and November 2010 Mr Slattery bought two further horns from an individual for $10,000.

US authorities claim that in 2010 Mr Slattery and his co-accused travelled to an auction house in Macon, Missouri, where they allegedly obtained a consignment of horns from endangered white and black rhinos. In early 2011 six of these horns had been sold for $260,000.

During a hearing on Wednesday, Mark Lynam BL, told the High Court that his client had consented to being extradited but that his surrender could not occur within the required time-frame given the current Covid-19 crisis. 

Mr Lynam said his client had obtained the services of a lawyer in Texas who was currently “smoothing things” out in relation to a potential plea bargain. 

Both of Mr Slattery’s co-accused have already been sentenced in the US and it is “virtually certain” that Mr Slattery will face a one year sentence in America, the court heard. 

Mr Lynam said his client had spent around nine months on remand throughout the process. By May it will have been 11 months which will be close to “time served”. 

He said the plea bargain process itself took several months and Mr Slattery could spend several months in a US detention centre where conditions have been described as “tough”. 

Mr Lynam asked the court to use its constitutional powers to grant Mr Slattery bail until his surrender can be finalised. Otherwise, he said, his client could spend longer in custody than any potential sentence. 

Counsel for the Attorney General, Lisa Dempsey BL, said May 22 was the “outside date” for potential surrender and Mr Slattery could well be extradited before then. 

She called Detective Garda Anthony Keane to outline the gardaí’s concerns in relation to bail. 

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said he wished to consider Mr Slattery’s bail application and he put the matter back to this Friday.