New Jersey Man Faces 20 Years for Role in Illegal Narwhal Tusk Import Scheme
A New Jersey man was found guilty Jan. 14 by a federal jury in Bangor, Maine of illegally trafficking and smuggling narwhal tusks, as well as associated money laundering charges, said the Justice Department. Andrew Zarauskas was convicted of conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, smuggling, and money laundering violations for buying narwhal tusks despite knowing the tusks had been illegally imported into the U.S. from Canada, and selling the tusks after their illegal import, said DOJ.
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From 2002 to 2008, Zarauskas knowingly purchased approximately 33 narwhal tusks that he knew were illegally imported into the U.S. in violation of federal law, said DOJ. Narwhals are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is illegal to import parts of narwhals into the U.S. without the required permits and certifications, and without declaring the merchandise at the time of importation to U.S. Customs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it said. A Maine U.S. District Court jury found that Zarauskas conspired with others, including persons located in Canada, to illegally import the protected tusks for re-sale in the U.S. and to launder the funds used to purchase the narwhal tusks by sending checks and money orders from New Jersey to Canada, intending that the money be used for further illegal imports of narwhal tusks.
Jay Conrad and Eddie Dunn of Tennessee already pleaded guilty in early January to their roles in the scheme to illegally import narwhal tusks, said DOJ. Zarauskus and Conrad face a maximum of twenty years in prison for their involvement, and a fine of up to $250,000. Dunn is scheduled to be sentenced in Alaska on March 20, and may be imprisoned up to five years and fined $250,000. Co-defendant Gregory Logan is pending extradition from Canada to the U.S., said DOJ.