Multi-Firm Trial Team Including Mark MacDougall and Paola Pinto Obtains Jury Acquittal of Cambodian Government Official in the Southern District of Florida

MARCH 2024

On March 22, 2024, Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears partner Mark MacDougall, along with Akin partner Stacey Mitchell and Maderal Byrne & Furst partner John Byrne, obtained a jury acquittal of Masphal Kry in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Mr. Kry, the Director of the Cambodian Department of Wildlife and Biodiversity, was charged with one count of conspiring with seven co-defendants to unlawfully import wild-caught long-tailed macaques into the United States and seven counts of smuggling wild-caught long-tailed macaques into the United States. The government voluntarily dismissed five smuggling counts at the close of its evidence, and the court granted the defense motion for judgment of acquittal on the sixth smuggling count. After a full day of deliberations, the jury acquitted Mr. Kry on the remaining conspiracy and smuggling charges.  Mr. MacDougall, Ms. Mitchell, and Mr. Byrne were assisted at trial by SOMS associate Paola Pinto and Akin associates Allison Coffin, Dakota Kann, Nicole Franklin, and Janie Mahan.