Woodbridge Man Illegally Sold Ivory Carvings From Sperm Whales

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A Woodbridge man admitted in federal court Wednesday to selling carvings made of sperm whale ivory, Acting U.S Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Richard Gontarek, 55, of Woodbridge, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Lacey Act, by selling carvings made of sperm whale ivory to a buyer in Pennsylvania.

Sperm whales are listed as an endangered species.

Prosecutors say that on Jan. 3, 2018, and on Dec. 6, 2018, Gontarek shipped a package containing a carving made from the tooth of a sperm whale to a buyer in Etter, Pennsylvania, in exchange for payment.

Sperm whales are listed in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The Lacey Act makes it a crime to sell in interstate commerce wildlife that the seller should know is illegal. New Jersey state law makes it unlawful for any person to sell ivory or any item that contains or is made from ivory.

As part of his plea agreement, Gontarek has agreed to pay a fine of $2,800 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lacey Act Reward Fund.

He may face up to a year in prison and a further fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2022.

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