Manoa man pleads not guilty to importing poison frogs
A 52-year-old Manoa man pleaded not guilty Thursday to illegally importing four poison dart frogs last year.
Charles Nishihira is facing a maximum five-year prison term and a fine of between $50,000 and $200,000 for allegedly importing restricted animals without a permit.
An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment April 8 charging Nishihira with bringing the frogs into the state on March 19, 2014.
Nishihira is free after posting bail of $2,000.
His Circuit Court trial was scheduled for the week of June 22.
The 1- to 1.7-inch frog gets its name because its skin glands contain an alkaloid toxin, which it derives from the ants it eats in its native habitat.
