Stop the illegal sale of 355 LBS of Elephant Tusks due to a Legal Loophole

  • by: Diana Pipaloff
  • recipient: The judge presiding over the case- The Honorable Mark S. Wallace US Bankruptcy Judge and the Office of the US Trustee

A con man and all around terrible person traveled to Africa between 1978-1989 and PERSONALLY shot 3 elephants and then proceeded to steal their tusks.  Since then this person has been found guilty of fraud and other illegal activities and has declared bankruptcy.  He is now trying to get the sale of 355 lbs of illegally obtained Ivory that was smuggled into the country to get $30,000 of quick and dirty cash. The legal documents clearly admit that selling Ivory is illegal based on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species act (CITIES).  The act states that no elephant tusks may be sold if they were imported after Feb 26, 1976. 

The argument made to approve the sale is that the act has no minimal acceptable proof of confirmation as to when the tusks were imported.  In other words- there is no acceptable requirement of proof making this act in effect powerless.  The dates this person traveled to Africa and killed the elephants have been stated and included in the legal documents - they are between 1978-1989.   Clearly the elephants were killed- and the ivory obtained AFTER the CITIES cut off date of 2/26/1976.  Which also means that they were illegally smuggled into the US. 

The law is clearly prohibiting the sale of this ivory- however, the judge may approve this based on a legal loophole and argument being made by this person's attorney that this is law is powerless. 

We cannot allow this man, who personally murdered 3 elephants to get around the law and profit from their deaths.

Update #110 years ago
WE WON!! Thank you everyone for caring!!! You made a difference and we are so grateful to you. With the power of your signatures we contacted the Federal Fish and Wildlife Agency and they conducted an investigation. In addition we sent an opposition letter to the judge prior to the hearing.

The lawyer for their case has withdrawn the request the sell the illegal ivory!!

We won even before it got to the hearing!
You stopped this person from profiting of their murder of elephants.

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