Washington state man pleads guilty to trafficking ivory

TACOMA, Wash. — Authorities say a man living in southwestern Washington has pleaded guilty to trafficking whale, elephant and walrus ivory.

The Justice Department said in a news release that 55-year-old Tim Davis pleaded guilty Friday to participating in at least 74 transactions involving the purchase and sale of ivory between May 2006 and June 2015.

The Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibit unlawful purchases and sales of these products. Court documents say Davis advertised on websites such as Etsy, EBay and Craigslist, offering to buy and sell ivory products.

Documents say he sold the products to buyers particularly in Asia and that he concealed the transactions by fraudulently labeling the packages.

Davis will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan in July.

Associated Press