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Hawaii businessman pleads guilty to smuggling walrus ivory

STAR-ADVERTISER / DEC. 2008

A customer contemplated her choices at the Hawaiian Accessories kiosk in the Ala Moana Center on Dec. 24, 2008.

The owner of an Oahu Hawaiian gifts retailer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to smuggle walrus ivory into and out of the country.

Curtis P. Wilmington — owner, president, treasurer and director of Hawaiian Accessories, Inc. — faces a maximum five-year prison term at sentencing in June. His company faces a fine of up to $500,000.

Wilmington, 64, admitted that he sent raw ivory to the Philippines, where he had them carved into fish hooks. He then had the hooks sent back to Hawaii, where he sold them as “Made in Hawaii” products in his stores. He bought the ivory from a person in Alaska, who turned out to be an undercover federal agent.

The U.S. Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibit the trafficking of walrus ivory.

Wilmington also admitted that he purchased sperm whale teeth from the undercover agent and imported black coral from Mexico without a permit.

Two other people connected to Hawaiian Accessories are scheduled to plead guilty next week. They are Wilmington’s daughter, Kauilani, who is the company’s general manager; and Elmer Biscocho, who worked for the company as an independent contractor and who owns the company in the Philippines that carved the ivory.

Undercover agents purchased the fish hook pendants at a Waikiki hotel boutique and at the Merrie Monarch hula festival in Hilo, Hawaii. Agents said they had previously tagged the items when they intercepted smuggled shipments and then delivered them to the company.

Wilmington’s company passed the items off as being made with fossilized material in Hawaii, authorities said.

The fish hooks sold for about $250 each, authorities said. Federal prosecutors and Wilmington disagree about the value of the smuggled items. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Johnson said it was about $105,000, but Wilmington says the amount is less.

Misrepresenting where cultural crafts are made has recently been an issue in Alaska, where four shops catering to cruise ship visitors sold whale and walrus bone carvings for $1,000 or more a piece. Shop owners falsely claimed they were made by Alaska Native artists, according to federal prosecutors.

Wilmington and his wife are Native Hawaiians who “started out in 1986 showcasing their unique koa jewelry at cultural events,” according to Hawaiian Accessories’ website. “Having backgrounds in the travel industry, Leslie and Curtis realized the need for authentic Hawaiian gifts and created a high quality line of products that perfectly suited the visitor market,” the site says.

Animal rights organizations say Hawaii could become the largest ivory market in the U.S. if the market is left unregulated. A bill that passed the House would ban the sale of elephant ivory, as well as certain animal parts like tiger pelts and rhinoceros horn.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.

3 responses to “Hawaii businessman pleads guilty to smuggling walrus ivory”

  1. cojef says:

    Greedy business individuals who flaunt the law until caught in a sting operation. $500 million and 5 years prison time is just punishment for this type of criminals who knowing break the conservation and endangered animal laws. Just deserves!

  2. localhaole says:

    All the more reason we need legislation at the state level to shut down the ivory market in Hawaii! If there was no local market to buy/sell these products, the importation would not occur.

  3. Carang_da_buggahz says:

    The authorities also need to crack down HARD on people who market items that they label as “Made in Hawai’i”. Allowing this fraud to flourish diminishes the “Made in Hawai’i” value and cheapens the brand. All too often, the imposters turn out to be made in China, India, or the Philippines. This is a slap in the face to local artisans who pour themselves into their work and undercuts the value of their labor. Seriously, when is the last time you heard of the Feds cracking down on this kind of thing? If the local authorities don’t crack down on this practice, it only opens the door for more counterfeits. Throw the book at these people. Greed seems to be what motivates them.

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