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Auctioneer Accused of Smuggling Rhinoceros Horns Worth $2.4 Million
Jacob Chait, the 34-year-old head of acquisitions and auctioneer of a Beverley Hills, California gallery and auction house, appeared in Manhattan federal court yesterday to face charges of conspiring to smuggle rhinoceros horns in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to the indictment, Chait and his co-conspirators purchased rhinoceros horns and taxidermy mounts in the U.S. and sought to sell them to foreign buyers in private deals. The alleged scheme involved at least eight separate deals or attempted deals involving 15 rhinoceros horns worth an estimated $2.4 million.
One alleged incident involved Chait personally smuggling two endangered black rhino horns to China in his luggage. Rhinoceros horns are worth more per pound than gold due to the high demand in Asia and increasing scarcity of supply.
Rhinoceros are an herbivore species of prehistoric origin and one of the largest remaining mega-fauna on earth. They have no known predators other than humans. The trade in rhinoceros horn and elephant ivory has been restricted since 1976 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty signed by over 180 countries around the world.
Chait is charged in one count of conspiring to smuggle rhinoceros horns and to violate the Lacey Act, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, whom Chait will appear before on February 27.
This matter is part of Operation Crash, a joint investigation between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Chait’s alleged actions are a stark reminder of the devastating impact of wildlife trafficking on endangered species like the rhinoceros. As U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara noted, ‘Rhinoceros have no known predators other than humans, and yet, driven by the illegal trade in their horns, literally worth more than their weight in gold in the black market, rhinoceros are on their way to extinction.’
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Wildlife Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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