Gibson Guitar settles U.S. probe into illegal wood imports

[Judi Lynn]

Gibson Guitar settles U.S. probe into illegal wood imports
Mon, 6 Aug 2012 21:27 GMT
Source: reuters // Reuters
By Tim Ghianni

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug 6 (Reuters) - Gibson Guitar Corp , which makes some of the world's most prized guitars, will pay a $300,000 penalty under a criminal enforcement agreement with federal prosecutors, after it admitted to possible illegal purchases of ebony from Madagascar, authorities said on Monday.

The agreement, announced by U.S. Justice Department officials in Washington, caps a probe into the Nashville-based guitar maker that began in 2009 when it came under suspicion of importing banned or protected wood from both Madagascar and India.

"As a result of this investigation and criminal enforcement agreement, Gibson has acknowledged that it failed to act on information that the Madagascar ebony it was purchasing may have violated laws intended to limit over-harvesting and conserve valuable wood species from Madagascar, a country which has been severely impacted by deforestation," said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Ignacia Moreno of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division.

"Gibson has ceased acquisitions of wood species from Madagascar and recognizes its duty under the U.S. Lacey Act to guard against the acquisition of wood of illegal origin by verifying the circumstances of its harvest and export, which is good for American business and American consumers," Moreno said.

More:
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/gibson-guitar-settles-us-probe-into-illegal-wood-imports

[dballance]

1. Kind of sad to hear

Gibson is a company with its HQ in my home state of TN. It has always had such a good reputation for its products. Too bad it seems some of them may have been made at the expense of Madagascar and India's environments.

[Flatpicker]

2. I'm not even

Sure what to think about this.

They are paying 300K, and admitting they MAY have purchased the wood illegally?

Either you did or you didn't. After Henry's declarations of innocence to the media, I was hoping that they were telling the truth.

Instead now, they pay and will quietly hush up what they did. The decision should be advertised and Gibson should have to pay to recant their bosses lies.