McHenry County Blog

A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

SKOKIE COMPANY FINED $150,000 FOR ILLEGALLY EXPORTING AFRICAN ELEPHANT IVORY AND OTHER PROTECTED WILDLIFE PARTS USED IN MAKING BILLIARD CUE STICKS

This Disney World elephant doesn't exacting deposit its poop in the side pocket as one of the Atlas cue sticks make from ivory might, but the point is made.

CHICAGO — A Skokie company pleaded guilty today and was fined $150,000 for illegally exporting African elephant ivory, as well as products made from other protected wildlife, to foreign customers, federal law enforcement officials announced.

The defendant, Atlas Fibre Company, pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of violating the federal Endangered Species Act by failing to obtain an export permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Atlas, which manufactures and distributes fiber, plastic and other materials for industrial applications, had a division called Atlas Billiard Supplies that sold parts involved in fabricating billiard cue sticks, including African elephant ivory, shell products and leathers made from the hides of elephants, monitor lizards, kangaroo, ostrich and shark.

Atlas, which was charged in a criminal information filed last month, pleaded guilty today at its arraignment before Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier in U.S. District Court.

Magistrate Schenkier immediately sentenced Atlas under the terms of a plea agreement, placing the company on probation for one year, in addition to imposing the $150,000 fine, which will be paid to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Lacey Act Reward Fund. He also ordered Atlas to pay the Fish and Wildlife Service $12,273 in restitution and $1,428 in funds the agency used to purchase products that were illegally shipped by Atlas.

“Failing to obtain necessary export permits is not merely a technical violation of the law,” said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “It is a crime to intentionally export protected wildlife parts and products without a permit to ensure that we protect, not profiting from, threatened or endangered species.”

Atlas admitted that its billiard supplies division sold approximately 61 pieces of worked African elephant ivory valued at $3,057 to a customer in Japan in October 2006 without a U.S. export permit required under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Atlas intentionally removed from the shipping invoice any reference to “ivory” to help the shipment move through Japanese customs.

Atlas also admitted as relevant conduct that, without a CITES permit, it exported African elephant ivory products valued in excess of $93,000 on approximately 129 separate occasions to customers primarily in Japan and Germany between January 2002 and November 2006.

Also without a permit, Atlas exported monitor lizard and African elephant leather valued in excess of $11,700 on approximately 53 occasions between September 2005 and October 2009, as well as mother of pearl and abalone shell products and leathers made from various other protected wildlife species valued in excess of $3,799 on approximately 37 occasions between January 2005 and October 2009.

In total, Atlas’ failure to obtain export permits and to pay inspection fees deprived the Fish and Wildlife Service of $12,273 in revenue.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Chapman.

The rumor mill says that Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley now favors the Viking Dodge site for a pool and community center, so perhaps this graphic by “Heck of a Guy” Crystal Lake blogger Allan Showalter of its fiery demise was in error.

I would say, favors it “again,” but Shepley was not specific as to the location when he spoke  to Crystal Lake seniors January almost a year ago.

Then, Shepley told the seniors that one of the sites was nearby. He was standing in the Senior Services building next to City Hall on Woodstock Street.

“The park district is looking at one near where you are sitting,” Shepley said.

He talked specifically about the old Oak Manufacturing building, where I had my last legislative office.

“The site (the park district is looking most closely at) is a building that is already in place,” the Mayor continued.

“If a pre-existing building, it takes less work (than new construction),” he continued.

I didn’t speculate about Viking Dodge being the location, but in February, the rumor mill was throwing off information pointing in that direction.

That turned out, of course, to be Viking Dodge.

And the Crystal Lake Park District voted to pay $6.3 million for it.

Although, through a Freedom of Information Act request, I discovered Oak Manufacturing’s old facility was in play.

Shepley predicted it would be open within two years after passage of the referendum necessary to finance it–2012.

The city council turned against Viking Dodge in September, primarily for traffic congestion reasons.

Even with an eventual new entrance on Ridgefield Road.  That’s the black line above.

Now the grapevine is saying that the YMCA had decided not to proceed with a new swimming pool, which would have been privately financed, because of the litigation resulting from the deaths of Chicago high schoolers in the. paddle boat accident.

So, I tried to check out the rumor.

I emailed Shepley at his city council address.

It’s been a while since I asked. Certainly time for Shepley to have replied.

Without confirmation the rumor remains a rumor.

Let me know if you can confirm it.

With all the water around Annapolis, Maryland, wouldn’t you think a duck could find some that was not chlorinated?

This duck was in the pool near our hotel room.

When two boys decided to join it, the mallard took off.

As I remember it, Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley took the leadership on obtaining a community center. Maybe I’ve got it wrong, but I remember his saying that he would find the money to build it. Others do, too.

Maybe that was just a press opportunity.

I learned at one park meeting I attended that the commissioners were waiting for follow-through on Shepley’s part.

When the Crystal Lake city sales tax was raised 75% under his leadership, $3 million were said to be for a senior center.

Just a glassful of dollars in the park district’s $50 million bucket.

A far cry even from the $8 million being touted to buy the land and what appears to be $42 million more to build the facility.

I wonder if the cost of gas to drive my son to and from swim practice at McHenry West High School would exceed the annual property tax increase.

The Northwest Herald noted the tough times in a recent editorial and suggests voter approval of a referendum would be “an uphill battle.”

Even with Swim Dad Shepley’s support.

As I remember it, Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley took the leadership on obtaining a community center. Maybe I’ve got it wrong, but I remember his saying that he would find the money to build it. Others do, too.

Maybe that was just a press opportunity.

I learned at one park meeting I attended that the commissioners were waiting for follow-through on Shepley’s part.

When the Crystal Lake city sales tax was raised 75% under his leadership, $3 million were said to be for a senior center.

Just a glassful of dollars in the park district’s $50 million bucket.

A far cry even from the $8 million being touted to buy the land and what appears to be $42 million more to build the facility.

I wonder if the cost of gas to drive my son to and from swim practice at McHenry West High School would exceed the annual property tax increase.

The Northwest Herald noted the tough times in a recent editorial and suggests voter approval of a referendum would be “an uphill battle.”

Even with Swim Dad Shepley’s support.

At the meeting with our son’s 4th grade teacher at South Elementary School, I discovered that I was not the only one who found this sign amusing.

It is on Broadway in Lakewood.

The part of the lot where the sign stands was covered with water last Wednesday.

You’ll note that “POOL” is a feature emphasized on top of the “For Sale” sign.

Neither we nor the Dad who took this picture have a pool.

At the meeting with our son’s 4th grade teacher at South Elementary School, I discovered that I was not the only one who found this sign amusing.

It is on Broadway in Lakewood.

The part of the lot where the sign stands was covered with water last Wednesday.

You’ll note that “POOL” is a feature emphasized on top of the “For Sale” sign.

Neither we nor the Dad who took this picture have a pool.