A former West Hills resident who was on the run from the federal government for the past four years pleaded guilty to federal charges relating to his illegal importation of unique fish.

Isaac Zimmerman, 66, was indicted on 13 counts stemming from his importing and exporting of a protected South American air-breathing fresh known as Arapaima gigas.

The government alleged that Mr. Zimmerman–individually and/or through his company, River Wonders LLC–illegally imported the fish from Mexico and then sold and shipped them to multiple states.

The indictments further alleged that Mr. Zimmerman engaged in the falsification of documents, obstructed justice, made false statements, and violated the terms of his pretrial release by continuing his importation of the fish after his arrest.

Mr. Zimmerman, an American citizen, was extradited from Mexico to California in September after federal agents had been following Mr. Zimmerman’s international trail for over four years.

Though Mr. Zimmerman plead guilty, he will not be sentenced until February 2016. Mr. Zimmerman’s attorney was able to secure his client’s release on bond until the February sentencing hearing.

If convicted, Mr. Zimmerman faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Ronald G. Brower is an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Orange County, California. The Law Office of Ronald G. Brower handles federal criminal defense matters.

If you or someone you know is charged with a federal crime or receives notice that you are being investigated for a federal offense, contact the Law Office of Ronald G. Brower to speak with a criminal defense attorney.