A judge sentenced Anna Goyda to two years probation and 250 hours of community service. US District Judge Michael Mosman on Monday also ordered Goyda, 27, to pay US$500 (S$732) to a fund that helps protect endangered and threatened species.

The three leopard skins Goyda bought at a market in Kinshasa, Congo, last year ended up at the Heineken brewery in the Netherlands. Workers there called Royal Dutch Customs, which alerted US authorities.

Goyda pleaded guilty in March to violating the Endangered Species Act. -- AP