Sea Turtle Eggs Stolen For Use As Aphrodisiac

As aphrodisiacs go, this one’s pretty peculiar.

On Tuesday, three men admitted poaching 372 loggerhead sea turtle eggs from lush Palm Beach. It’s what they planned to do with the eggs that raised eyebrows in federal court in Fort Lauderdale.

One defendant said, “‘Oh, yeah, we sell it to local bars and they put it in drinks,”’ said Diane Patrick, the federal prosecutor. Some believe the eggs have the ability to enhance sexual desire.

“I was educated,” the prosecutor said. “I had no idea they had these uses.”

The potential price tag? From $2 to $3 an egg, or $25 a dozen. But it never got that far before Palm Beach Police foiled the scam.

James Bivens, Greg Harmon and Winfred Patrick pleaded guilty to a felony and a misdemeanor for violating federal laws prohibiting the possession and sale of threatened species. Prosecutors dropped a conspiracy charge. They face up to five years in prison when they are sentenced in February.