Antique dealer trafficked elephant carvings

With elephants on the list of endangered species, a Forest Hills antique dealer has been charged with illegally selling approximately $15,000 worth of elephant ivory figures and jewelry. The sale of more than $1,500 worth of products made from ivory without having first obtained a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) license or permit is a felony.
The defendant has been identified as Marc Pine, 59, of 87-25 62nd Road in Rego Park. The defendant is the owner and operator of Instant Replay, an antique store located at 72-20 Austin Street in Forest Hills.
He is being held pending arraignment in Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens on a charge of illegal commercialization of wildlife, a Class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison.  His store, which is also being charged, faces a fine of $5,000 if convicted.
District Attorney Richard A. Brown said, &#8220The arrest sends a message that illegal commercialization of wildlife resources won’t be tolerated in New York. Buyers of ivory artifacts should exercise judgment when making such purchases by ensuring that the seller is a licensed retailer. Otherwise, they may be indirectly contributing to the extinction of one of the world’s more magnificent animals - the elephant.”
According to the criminal charges, a state Environmental Conservation Police Officer entered the defendant’s business establishment on the afternoon of May 11, 2006 and observed various pieces of ivory being displayed in the store window and on shelves that were being offered for sale to the public. The ivory jewelry and figures were made from the tusks of either African or Asian elephants and had a market value of approximately $15,000. The African elephant is a threatened species and the Asian elephant is an endangered species.