Current Illegal Ivory Raids

Illegal Ivory Busts

That's Joe Barringer to your left currently holding a pair of 240lbs pre ban elephant tusks. Yes, they're huge and many others wanted the opportunity to buy them but Joe put down his money where his mouth was while his competitors walked away in defeat. He is without question, the United States' largest pre ban ivory buyer. He buys the most, he sells the most and he has the most. Despite a minor set-back, he's still up and running stronger than ever before. So, if you have preban ivory to sell, he's the higher buyer and to any amount; cash is always available for transactions of any size. Thinking of buying, then Joe has the best because he buys the most and selects only the finest legal preban elephant ivory for sales to artisans and cue builders all over the USA. Remember, when you buy your ivory from us it's guaranteed to be genuine and 100% legal. Our documentation that we only buy and sell legal pre ban ivory is unsurpassed which is good for your protection as well.

2011-2012 UPDATE ON OUR MUSEUM FRIENDS & RECENT RAIDS

We have never met anyone so full of themselves as this Amish area 'museum'. The owner is such a pompous phoney. What would lead someone to state such a remark? Well, since we have ongoing and competing businesses, we occasionally get emails from clients telling us what our phoney 'museum' friends have to say about us. We have to first lay the framework for you to understand.

The phoney 'museum' has been looking for a sponsor for years. Basically they were looking for an idiot with a lot of money who had nothing better to do with it. That scenario never materialized. However, our phoney 'museum' friends have now formed a non-profit corporation and are seeking donations for their 'phoney museum'. After all, it's easier raising 1 million from tens of thousands of people than from one person.

And now for the statement that tops all statements. This statement was made by the owner of the phoney 'museum' to a customer of ours as to why they were not currently purchasing ivory at the time; "...we also promised a significant portion of my profits for two years to a charity and have held off on buying so as to maximize our giving".

Yes, you read that correctly. The phoney 'museum' operator is a wonderful charitable person [sic] but the "profits" he is donating is to his own charity. He's taking his own money from his left pocket and putting it in his right pocket. This is one sanctimonious pompous arse. He could have simply stated that we're building a 'museum' and we're donating or saving our money for that purpose. To state that he was donating "significant portions for two years" and "held off buying so as to maximize" his giving sounds like they're such wonderful and warm God loving people. We all know better. They're playing the system. He's going to give himself a tax write off for the donations and then pay himself, his family, friends etc, with eventual proceeds from the 'museum' revenue. What a scam and it's legal. I can't wait to see their annual returns so we can tear into it and see the salaries and spiffs.

And now for a little more controversy about these fine upstanding Amish phonies. It seems that our 'museum' friends were at the center of a larger Federal Ivory Investigation also involving Fish & Wildlife Services (FWS). You can read the story here. It's not what the story says that concerns us but what isn't said. So, some concerned citizens brought this to the attention of the Feds and our Amish 'museum' people were instantly called upon to arrange a transaction. So the Feds now involve private citizens in dangerous stings. Do you really think that happens? Rest assured, it doesn't. The Feds will never involve innocent people in a Federal investigation unless the private citizens were a part of the investigation! That's how it works. More probably, the 'museum' folks were involved in some illegal imports that they got nailed on and then cooperated with FWS to lighten their involvement. Standard operating proceedure is to set-up a sting and then turn the thugs over to the Feds so that they can deal directly. This is exactly what happened here. No one is going to convince me otherwise. Additionally, our 'museum' friends possess permits which allow FWS to enter their facility at any time to review their books and records of purchases and sales without warrants.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE Atlas Fibre Company pleaded guilty 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

So after reading the above, you now see that what we reported months ago was accurately stated here: And lastly, this is going to be an eye-opener and an incredible revelation. Our righteous billiard supply friends in Skokie Illinois were also raided in 2006 for their involvement in illegal sales of raw ivory to Japan. You read that correctly; they shipped raw ivory to Japan and got nailed. We believe the Feds are still investigating. The homes and offices of the Skokie firm were raided and computers confiscated but no one knows this (only a select few). It's been a closely guarded secret until now. You can take that to the bank my friends. If anyone asks and they deny this fact, they're lying through their teeth. The reason we're not mentioning their name is because we don't need to promote a competitor. We all know who we're talking about.

So, to all you people out there who are quick to cast stones, think again as the whole industry was raided. Some turned rats to save their own ass, some investigations are still open and some pled to a misdeameanor. Thank you and I hope this clarifies the situation.

Oh and one more thing. The Patriot Act makes all these raids possible for the Feds. It's like the old KGB. We suspect you of doing something therefore we are going to detain you. In recent cases, if the Feds think you're involved in alleged illegal activity, they're going to raid you first and gather the incriminating information directly from the party being raided. This is ass backwards as it use to be surveillance, wire-taps, then a warrant and lastly an indictment. Today they raid you, investigate you and if they find the info they're looking for, they indict you. This is not the America I once knew.

Gibson Guitars were recently raided twice in two years. My own belief for the dual raids was because Gibson called the Feds to task by hiring attorneys and the Feds were not ready to negotiate. I believe the hiring of attorney's was wrong and what led to the August, 2011 raid (second raid). As far as Gibson doing anything wrong; it depends who they bought their ebony from. If they bought it direct, then they may have problems. If there was a middleman, then they can claim ignorance. I don't know how far that will get them but we'll all find out in a couple years when the Feds are done with their investigation. Gibson does have a problem as the ebony from India is suppose to be a finished product. The wood or finished products are labeled that way to fool export and customs officials. You see, a long thin piece of ebony can be labeled as a fret board even though it's the correct size but we all know it's certainly not a finished product. I don't know why the USA government cares about mislabeled exports coming in as long as they're legal to import but The Justice Department is on the warpath so who am I to question their motives. Perhaps this is part of the Obama Jobs Plan to keep American's working. :-)

And, on August 6, 2012, Gibson pled guilty to what I would call 'nothing' and was fined $350k. Specifically, "after it admitted to possible illegal purchases of ebony from Madagascar, authorities said on Monday". A plea that they admitted to "possible illegal purchases". Now we can be found guilty of "possibly" doing something. What happened to reasonable doubt?