A dealer of African art who had a shop in Old City Philadelphia was sentenced to 30 months in prison for illegally smuggling elephant ivory in the United States.
Victor Gordon. 71, of Penn Valley, Pa., was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in Brooklyn, N.Y., to pay a $7,500 fine and forfeit $150,000 along with roughly one ton of elephant ivory that was seized from his store in April 2009.
Gordon, whose store at 31 N. 3rd St. proclaimed itself “the most unusual store in Philadelphia,” faced charges of conspiracy, smuggling and violations of the Lacey Act. Prosecutors said over a nine-year period, Gordon acquired more than 400 pieces of carved elephant ivory, valued at roughly $800,000. At the time authorities searched his store, he was trying to sell his business, including the ivory collection, for $20 million. Read more about this story on PBJ.com.
