HONOLULU, Hawaii – A Federal grand jury handed down a 21-count indictment against Hawaiian Accessories Inc. and five individuals as part of a multi-agency investigation of illegal sale and transportation of multiple types of ivory, whale bone/teeth and black coral.
Curtis P. Wilmington, Sergio T. Biscocho, Kauilani Wilmington, Elmer Biscocho and Kauiokaala Chung were indicted on charges of conspiracy, smuggling and violations of the Lacey Act.
On May 20, 2015, agents, officers and wildlife inspectors from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Office of Law Enforcement, and Homeland Security executed six federal search warrants in the Honolulu, Hawaii, area.
“The crimes outlined in the indictment are a serious violation of the laws that protect threatened and endangered marine resources in our country,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “It hurts everyone when people harvest and sell illegal products from protected marine resources to make a profit.”
Edward Grace, Deputy Chief for the Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, said: “These indictments demonstrate the Service’s commitment to combating illegal wildlife trafficking, which is decimating many of the world’s most beloved species, including the African elephant. The cooperation in this investigation between the Service and NOAA law enforcement and Homeland Security exemplifies our commitment to working with our partners to protect the nation’s and the world’s most imperiled wildlife.”
