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Here's the full story as printed in the Skokie Review.
Skokie company fined for selling products from endangered species
A Skokie company that manufacturers billiard products was fined $150,000 Tuesday for selling products containing African elephant ivory and products made from other endangered species.
Atlas Fibre Company pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating the federal Endangered Species Act for failing to obtain an export permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Atlas manufactures and distributes fiber, plastic and other materials for industrial applications, according to the release. A division called Atlas Billiard Supplies sold parts involved in fabricating billiard cue sticks -- including African elephant ivory, shell products and leathers made from the hides of elephants, monitor lizards, kangaroo, ostrich and sharks.
The company was fined $150,000 for exporting African elephant ivory and other products made from other protected wildlife to foreign customers, the release said.
“Failing to obtain necessary export permits is not merely a technical violation of the law,” said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, in the release. “It is a crime to intentionally export protected wildlife parts and products without a permit to ensure that we protect not profiting from, threatened or endangered species.”
The company admitted its billiard supplies division sold 61 pieces of worked African elephant ivory valued at $3,057 to a customer in Japan in October 2006 without a U.S. export permit required under the Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the release said.
The Department of Justice said Atlas intentionally removed any reference to ivory on the shipping invoice to help the goods move through Japanese customs.
Atlas also admitted to exporting African elephant ivory products valued at more than $93,000 without a permit on 129 separate occasions to customers primarily in Japan and Germany between January 2002 and November 2006, the release said.
The company also exported without a permit monitor lizard and African elephant leather valued at more than $11,700 on 53 occasions between September 2005 and October 2009, the release said. Atlas also shipped mother of pearl and abalone shell products and leathers made from various other protected wildlife species valued at more than $3,799 on 37 occasions between January 2005 and October 2009.
The company was charged in a criminal complaint filed in December 2011 and pleaded guilty Tuesday in an arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier, who immediately issued the fine and put the company on a one year probation, the release said.
The $150,000 fine will be paid to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Lacey Act Renewal Fund, the release said. Atlas must also pay the Fish and Wildlife Service $12,273 in restitution and $1,428 in funds to the agency used to purchase products that were illegally shipped by Atlas.
— Sun-Times Media
Skokie company fined for selling products from endangered species
A Skokie company that manufacturers billiard products was fined $150,000 Tuesday for selling products containing African elephant ivory and products made from other endangered species.
Atlas Fibre Company pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating the federal Endangered Species Act for failing to obtain an export permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Atlas manufactures and distributes fiber, plastic and other materials for industrial applications, according to the release. A division called Atlas Billiard Supplies sold parts involved in fabricating billiard cue sticks -- including African elephant ivory, shell products and leathers made from the hides of elephants, monitor lizards, kangaroo, ostrich and sharks.
The company was fined $150,000 for exporting African elephant ivory and other products made from other protected wildlife to foreign customers, the release said.
“Failing to obtain necessary export permits is not merely a technical violation of the law,” said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, in the release. “It is a crime to intentionally export protected wildlife parts and products without a permit to ensure that we protect not profiting from, threatened or endangered species.”
The company admitted its billiard supplies division sold 61 pieces of worked African elephant ivory valued at $3,057 to a customer in Japan in October 2006 without a U.S. export permit required under the Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the release said.
The Department of Justice said Atlas intentionally removed any reference to ivory on the shipping invoice to help the goods move through Japanese customs.
Atlas also admitted to exporting African elephant ivory products valued at more than $93,000 without a permit on 129 separate occasions to customers primarily in Japan and Germany between January 2002 and November 2006, the release said.
The company also exported without a permit monitor lizard and African elephant leather valued at more than $11,700 on 53 occasions between September 2005 and October 2009, the release said. Atlas also shipped mother of pearl and abalone shell products and leathers made from various other protected wildlife species valued at more than $3,799 on 37 occasions between January 2005 and October 2009.
The company was charged in a criminal complaint filed in December 2011 and pleaded guilty Tuesday in an arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier, who immediately issued the fine and put the company on a one year probation, the release said.
The $150,000 fine will be paid to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Lacey Act Renewal Fund, the release said. Atlas must also pay the Fish and Wildlife Service $12,273 in restitution and $1,428 in funds to the agency used to purchase products that were illegally shipped by Atlas.
— Sun-Times Media
