A Screech Owl Lands a Man in Federal Court.

TYLER – In an appearance in federal court in Tyler, a Fort Worth man has pleaded guilty to federal wildlife violations. Jorge Fernando Mercado, 46, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of migratory birds. Federal prosecutors say in September of last year, in Van Zandt County, Mercado sold a live Eastern Screech-Owl for $200. The bird is protected by federal statute and international conventions. Mercado admitted that he sold the owl without a valid permit or authorization. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. The owl was recovered and rehabilitated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife and has since been released back into the wild.