A Lakeville resident pleaded guilty Wednesday to smuggling over $26,000 worth of sperm whale teeth from Ukraine and reselling it in the United States, the Department of Justice said.
John “Jake” Bell, an artist who primarily sold crafts made from wood and bone, admitted to selling about 34 sperm whale teeth to a co-conspirator in Nantucket, Mass. Bell made the sales from Ukraine when he was in the country in 2004, the department said.
Bell shipped the teeth to several co-conspirators for distribution, according to Massachusetts court documents. Bell routinely shipped teeth to a “trusted individual” in Connecticut. This individual then made trips to Massachusetts to sell the teeth, the documents state.
The buyer was convicted in relation to the trafficking in 2010 and sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Bell issued receipts for the whale teeth from Ukraine and listed items as “paintings” in order to keep the illegal business secret.
Emails and text messages included in the court documents outline the exchanges between Bell and his co-conspirator in Massachusetts. In September 2004, Bell emailed the buyer saying that the cost for the teeth “comes out to about $310 per Lb.”
Subsequent emails detailed the price and weight of the teeth. In November, Bell offered to sell a single 2-pound piece for $2,000, according to the documents.
Negotiations between Bell and the buyer took place through December, with Bell setting a price and telling the co-conspirator to “resell and make 20 percent.”
Bell was charged with conspiracy and smuggling in 2009.
The sperm whale, Connecticut’s state animal, was put on the endangered species list in 1970. The whale is protected by both the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood announced Bell’s guilty plea.
“Sperm whale teeth can weigh over two pounds each and are alluring to many collectors,” Wood said in a press release. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that those who attempt to profit from the illegal trade of endangered species will face the consequences for their actions under law.”
