Johnny Depp's Wife Amber Heard Faces 10 Years in Prison for Dog Smuggling

Magic Mike XXL actress Amber Heard, who was recently accused of illegally importing animals into Australia, announced she will be fighting the charges. If convicted, the wife of Johnny Depp could face a fine of $75,000 and up to 10 years in prison.

The trouble started last May when The Rum Diary couple entered the land down under with their two Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, without the proper paperwork. According to Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, this violated Australia's 1908 Quarantine Act which requires health and biosecurity checks for all animals entering the country. Joyce then demanded the smuggled dogs be exported or risk being euthanized.

"There is a process if you want to bring animals: you get the permits, they go into quarantine and then you can have them," explained Joyce during a radio interview. "But if we start letting movie stars – even though they've been the Sexiest Man Alive twice – to come into our nation [and break the laws], then why don't we just break the laws for everybody?"

However, the 29-year-old Heard recently stated, "My decision to defend these charges, as will become apparent in the appropriate forum of the Court, is not intended to in any way diminish the importance of Australia's laws." The star of Zombieland  further added "I look forward to attending the hearing of these matters. However, as the matters are to be determined by the Court, I will not be making any further statements.

In the meantime, on a recent appearance of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Heard's Pirates of the Caribbean  husband said "We were under the impression that we had all the paperwork done for the dogs, we were there with the dogs in front of everybody." Depp added "There might have been other things smuggled. They seemed to miss that bit...might have been. Could have been."

As Kimmel continued the interview by asking, "They threatened to put her in jail, isn't that true?" the star of Black Mass claimed, "If they did that, I'd just fly to Australia and assault that man so that I could go to jail."

Heard's next hearing is December 15 where a trial date will likely be scheduled for early next year.