Amber Heard Charged With Illegally Bringing Couple's Dogs Into Australia
Posted on Thu Jul 16th, 2015 8:00am PDT By X17 Staff
From the doghouse to the big house!
Johnny Depp's wife Amber Heard is in some serious hot water after being charged with illegally smuggling their Yorkshire Terriers, Boo and Pistol, into Australia in April.
Apparently, the couple failed to declare the pups when they went to Australia, which violating the rules of the country's Quarantine Act 1908. The story made headlines at the time since Australia's Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce demanded the animals leave the country or they would be in danger of being euthanized. Depp and Heard complied with Joyce's request, and their dogs returned to L.A.
However, the story didn't end there. The Magic Mike XXL star was charged this week with two counts of illegal importation contrary to the quarantine act and one count of producing a false document.
"Ms. Amber Heard was served with a summons issued by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions on July 14. The CDPP's action follows an incident where a biosecurity officer attended a Gold Coast property in April and found two dogs alleged to be illegally imported," a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Agriculture told E! News in a statement Wednesday. "All animals entering Australia must have an import permit, and have undergone relevant testing and health checks signed off by a government veterinarian from the exporting country to ensure pests and diseases from overseas are not brought here."
She has been issued a summons to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court in Queensland on Sept. 7
If Heard is found guilty of the three charges she could face up to Heard 11 years in prison. The importation charges have a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $75,000. If convicted of the false document charge she could face up to a year in prison and have a fine of $7,500.