MIAMI (AP) - A South Florida auction house and its president have pleaded guilty to federal wildlife smuggling conspiracy charges in a case involving rhinoceros horns, elephant ivory and corals.
The pleas were entered Wednesday by 55-year-old Christopher Hayes of Wellington and his company, Elite Decorative Arts of Boynton Beach. Prosecutors say Hayes sold horns of at least six endangered black rhinos, four of them to undercover U.S Fish and Wildlife Service investigators.
Prosecutors also say Elite and Hayes also admitted to illegally selling items made from rhinoceros horn, elephant ivory and coral to a Canadian antiques dealer.
Hayes faces up to five years in prison and will be sentenced at a later date. Elite agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine and no longer engage in business involving endangered or protected wildlife.
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