A Canadian man was arrested today in St. John, New Brunswick,
Canada, on an extradition warrant requested by the United States for
money laundering crimes related to the illegal importation and illegal
trafficking of narwhal tusks,
announced Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the
Environment and Natural Resources Division
.
On Nov. 14, 2012, a federal grand jury sitting in Bangor, Maine, returned an indictment that was partially unsealed today upon the arrest of Gregory R. Logan of Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada. The indictment also names Jay G. Conrad of Lakeland, Tenn., and Andrew L. Zarauskas of Union, N.J. Logan was arrested on charges in the indictment for money laundering conspiracy and substantive money laundering violations. The indictment also charges Conrad and Zarauskas with conspiracy to smuggle narwhal tusks, money laundering conspiracy, smuggling narwhal tusks and money laundering violations. According to the indictment, Logan illegally laundered the money earned from his illegal imports and sales of narwhal tusks in the United States. It further charges that Conrad and Zarauskas bought the narwhal tusks from Logan, knowing the tusks had been illegally imported into the United States, and sold or attempted to sell the tusks after their illegal importation.
The arrest of Logan on an extradition warrant in Canada begins the extradition process to the U.S. The extradition process is governed by a 1971 extradition treaty between the U.S. and Canada.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted of these charges, the defendants each face up to twenty years in prison on each of the most serious charges, as well as fines up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Todd S. Mikolop of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs.
On Nov. 14, 2012, a federal grand jury sitting in Bangor, Maine, returned an indictment that was partially unsealed today upon the arrest of Gregory R. Logan of Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada. The indictment also names Jay G. Conrad of Lakeland, Tenn., and Andrew L. Zarauskas of Union, N.J. Logan was arrested on charges in the indictment for money laundering conspiracy and substantive money laundering violations. The indictment also charges Conrad and Zarauskas with conspiracy to smuggle narwhal tusks, money laundering conspiracy, smuggling narwhal tusks and money laundering violations. According to the indictment, Logan illegally laundered the money earned from his illegal imports and sales of narwhal tusks in the United States. It further charges that Conrad and Zarauskas bought the narwhal tusks from Logan, knowing the tusks had been illegally imported into the United States, and sold or attempted to sell the tusks after their illegal importation.
The arrest of Logan on an extradition warrant in Canada begins the extradition process to the U.S. The extradition process is governed by a 1971 extradition treaty between the U.S. and Canada.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted of these charges, the defendants each face up to twenty years in prison on each of the most serious charges, as well as fines up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by agents from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Todd S. Mikolop of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs.
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