By Khalida Sarwari
A Saratoga man faces several years of imprisonment and hefty fines for selling art objects made of elephant ivory on the international market, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Shahram “Ron” Roohparvar, 61, was charged with three counts of wildlife trafficking and smuggling, according to the DOJ. He was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero and released on a $250,000 bond.
Roohparvar is suspected of not only offering ivory for sale on the Internet but also exporting the product, violating rules that were established 40 years ago. The exportation of elephant ivory is regulated by federal statutes and international agreements, which means that doing so without the proper permits and declarations is considered a crime.
Roohparvar is alleged to have taken part in three different transactions between 2012 and 2015, according to the DOJ. In January 2012, for example, he allegedly offered an ivory carving for sale that he shipped to New Zealand. The following year, in December, he is suspected of directing the export of an ivory carving to Australia. Then in July of last year, he allegedly attempted to export an ivory statue to New Zealand. Prosecutors believe that in all three cases, Roohparvar initiated the transactions without obtaining the required permits and filing the necessary declarations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Roohparvar was arrested on the morning of March 9 by USFWS agents in connection with an alleged international elephant ivory trafficking scheme following an investigation conducted by the USFWS law enforcement office.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment and a $750,000 fine for the wildlife trafficking charges. He faces a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment and a $750,000 fine for the smuggling charges.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, Roohparvar is a coins and antiques dealer who owns the Coins and Antiques Gallery. As of mid-March, the website (coinsandantiquesgallery.com) still featured several items made of ivory, including a Chinese-carved ivory figure of a Bodhisattva for $3,459 and a pair of Chinese-carved ivory figures of an emperor and empress for $3,859.
Roohparvar is scheduled to appear in court again April 6 at 2 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer.
Link: Saratoga man is facing charges for selling items made of elephant ivory
