Art Dealer Arraigned on Charges of Violating the Endangered Species Act
According to this article, a Philadelphia art and antiquities dealer, Victor Gordon, was arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn for smuggling up to a ton of carved ivory brought in to the United States through John F. Kennedy Airport between 2006 and 2009. This is one of the largest American seizures of elephant ivory on record.
The prosecution alleges that Gordon's agent would purchase the raw ivory, then stain or dye it to make it appear antique. He would thus avoid subjection to the endangered species law mandated under the 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, because ivory imported before a certain date is not unlawful according to these regulations. Gordon pleaded not-guilty; however, if he is convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for violating the Endangered Species Act.
(Nicole Dornbusch contributed to this article.)
