FWS Announce Nationwide Crackdown on Black Market Rhino Trade
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that seven people were arrested on charges of trafficking in endangered black rhinoceros horn over the week of February 16-23, 2012 in Los Angeles, Newark, N.J., and New York. Special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the arrests and have executed search warrants in five different states as part of “Operation Crash,” a multi-agency effort to investigate and prosecute those involved in the black market trade of endangered rhinoceros horn.
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Multiple cases of illicit trafficking of black rhinoceros horn were reported during the week of February 16-23, 2012. (i) In Los Angeles, Jin Zhao Feng, a Chinese national who allegedly oversaw the shipment of at least dozens of rhino horns from the United States to China, was arrested and members of an alleged U.S.-based trafficking ring that supplied rhino horns to Feng were arrested after being charged with conspiracy and violations of the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act for purchasing rhino horns from various suppliers in the U.S. (ii) In New Jersey, Amir Even-Ezra was arrested on February 18, 2012, on a felony trafficking charge in violation of the Lacey Act after purchasing rhino horns from an individual from New York at a service station off of the New Jersey Turnpike. (iii) In U.S. District Court in Manhattan, antiques expert David Hausman was charged with illegally trafficking rhinoceros horns and with creating false documents to conceal the illegal nature of the transaction, both in violation of the Lacey Act.
If convicted, maximum penalties under these charges are up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy; five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for Lacey Act violations; and up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine for violations of the Endangered Species Act.