Case library · The Black Market
Five Rings, One Buyer
United States v. Optimus, Inc. (2005)
Charge: Lacey Act / wildlife traffickingCourt: U.S. District Court, S.D. FloridaState: FloridaDocket: The Black Market
Must a large importer check where its stock truly came from, or may it rely on invoices it told suppliers to write?
The facts
One of the country's biggest importers of sturgeon roe bought about six tons of it from five separate smuggling rings, most in the rush before the millennium new year. The roe came from Caspian nations whose sturgeon had been internationally protected since 1998. The firm told its suppliers to write invoices stating the goods had been lawfully imported, and those invoices hid the quantities and the price per kilo.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: United States v. Optimus, Inc. (S.D. Fla. 2005)
Read more at justice.gov. The source reveals the outcome.