Man arrested at JFK airport after 35 birds intended for singing contests found in his clothing

Customs officials at New York's JFK Airport discovered 35 live finches attached to a man's jacket and ankles as he attempted to smuggle them into the country for singing competitions, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

According to a complaint, a search revealed Kevin Andre McKenzie, 36, was wearing dozens of small cylindrical containers with mesh-covered openings, allowing the birds inside to breathe, according to photos released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. The birds were "concealed in his suit jacket and beneath his pants legs, with each bird hidden inside a hair curler," according to the complaint.