Maquoketa taxidermist to plead guilty to trafficking rhino horns 

A Maquoketa taxidermist will plead guilty next week in federal court to selling and buying horns of black rhinoceros, an endangered African mammal that has declined as a result of illegal hunting.

James Hess, owner of Wildlife Pride Taxidermy and Décor, will plead guilty May 13 to one count of Lacey Act Trafficking in U.S. District Court, according to information filed Monday. The Lacey act, which is under the Endangered Species Act, makes it a crime for a person to sell or purchase any fish or wildlife with a value of over $350. The information has little details and the plea agreement won't be filed until next week.

Hess faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Young said he couldn't elaborate on the charge but did say this was an unusual case for Iowa. 

According to a World Wildlife Fund report, rhino horns sell for $60,000 per kilogram. The black rhinos remain "critically" endangered because of demand for the horns, which has increased poaching to record levels.

The horns are used in some cultures for folk remedies or for carving art objects. In 2010, a total of 333 rhinos were killed, almost all of them in one day in South Africa, according to the WWF.