U.S. v. Victor Gordon: Prison Term Imposed in Ivory Smuggling Case
A federal judge sitting in the Eastern District of New York has sentenced convicted ivory smuggler Victor Gordon to 30 months in prison, two years supervised release, a fine of…
forfeiture actions | fossils | prosecutions | U.S. v. Eric Prokopi | United States v. One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton
U.S. v. Prokopi: Sentence Mitigated as Prosecutors Declare, “Not an Active Fossil Investigation That Has Not Been Informed … by Information Given by Prokopi”
Calling Eric Prokopi “a unique and important cooperating witness in the annals of national resource crime,” federal prosecutors urged leniency for the accused dinosaur smuggler who pleaded guilty in 2012…
National Historic Preservation Act Diluted as Congress Adopts Military LAND Act, Opposed by Department of Defense
The Military Land and National Defense Act, more commonly known as the Military LAND Act, diminishes historic preservation. Immediately before the Memorial Day weekend, the House of Representative voted 325-98 to approve the National Defense…
Museums Honor America’s Soldiers with Free Admission
Cultural institutions throughout the country will offer free admission to active duty, National Guard, and Reserve soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines from Memorial Day through Labor Day. These “Blue Star”…
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) | import protections | ivory | museums
Ivory Ban Relaxed A Little – Museums Should Take Note
The federal government in February issued a ban on on the commercial sale of African elephant ivory. The administrative action came about quickly and was soon met by several complaints, including…
Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG) | ancient coins | archaeology | Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) | import protections | imports | UNESCO Convention (1970)
The Cultural Property Implementation Act Covers Ancient Coins
The Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) classifies designated ancient coin artifacts as archaeological material. That ancient coins serve as evidentiary sources of the past makes perfect sense. Ancient coins…