{ The bold evidence tags, which still remain on the items, look straight out of a crime scene, so Robin created her own paper screens to cover the merchandise stating: “Please do not disturb. Nothing in here is for sale.”
Wertz Brothers Antique Market in Santa Monica was infiltrated on Friday, March 30th right after opening. Manager Robin Messick remembered thinking it was peculiar that a woman in uniform had come into the mall at 10:10 a.m.
She veered to the left after entering the mall and dodged the front counter so Robin wasn’t able to see the patch on her arm that clarified her affiliation. The female officer was accompanied by a man and women dressed in plain clothes. One had a backpack, which Robin asked him to check in, as is customary at the mall. Robin was helping a customer, when she noticed that there were a few taxidermy ducks on the counter.
“there will be more”
A second cashier asked if the trio were done shopping after bringing up the ducks, and they replied, “No, there will be more.” And there was.
Ann Slater recounted the incident in a cautionary email she sent to two show promoters: “What they were looking for was ivory (regardless of age), tortoiseshell, stuffed birds ie. ducks, geese, sea turtles, stuffed animal heads, etc.” There was also a black-crowned night heron that was confiscated, a zebra head, hides and pillows made of zebra hides, a sea turtle shell and two purses made of sea turtle skin, a prong horn antelope mount, and two mule deer heads.
According to Robin, it was around an hour before any of the agents flashed their badges and announced their true intentions.
As the day progressed, more agents seemed to surface until there were between 8 and 11, some in uniform and some undercover. They were a blend of Federal and state agents looking for violations of a number of wildlife codes and acts, she explained. The Federal agents focused on the birds, since 800 species are listed on the Migratory bird act (including just about every fowl other than chickens), and the state agents focused on California animals and ivory.
detailed receipts
They left very detailed receipts for each item that they seized, which named the specific item, price, booth number, dealer name, the name and address of Wertz Brothers, as well as the name of the Fish & Game officer and his or her badge number.
Not everything was taken off of the premises. They left behind all of the ivory and a box of tortoiseshell hair combs.
left in the cases
“They were all in locked cases and since they tend to be small, delicate and expensive, the agents opted to leave them there with evidence tags,” said Robin.
“There is apparently some confusion over the ivory because they did not confiscate the items that they found,” wrote Slater in her email to Michael Grimes and Nancy Johnson. “They tagged them, left them in the cases and were told that they could not be removed or sold until the store was notified.”
The bold evidence tags, which still remain on the items, look straight out of a crime scene, so Robin created her own paper screens to cover the merchandise stating: “Please do not disturb. Nothing in here is for sale.”
Robin said around 15 dealers were affected by the raid, which lasted almost four hours.
She had to provide their names and addresses so that the dealers could be sent their $250 citations. One state agent, when approached by a concerned dealer, explained that after he pays her citation, she can approach the judge on the day of his hearing and ask that his items be released from evidence. They will be able to reclaim their property, but will be unable to sell it.
“cheat sheets”
Robin noticed that the officers carried what she called “cheat sheets” with drawings of some of the animals, ie. antler forms, to help them determine which were illegal to sell or not. For example, only the California deer could be targeted so they had to determine which ones were native.
She also noticed that several of them made calls, perhaps to superiors, inquiring about whether certain animals were subject to confiscation.
It is also just as educational to note which animals the Fish & Wildlife Departments did not take. They specifically passed up a mounted boar’s head, and they did not seize anything made from alligator or crocodile skin or parts. After doing some considerable research, Robin believes they left behind these reptiles because the portion restricting the sale of alligator and crocodile skins and parts does not go into effect until January 2015.
If the professionals needed help in determining which animals to confiscate, it is easy to see why dealers might be confused as to what they can legally sell. Robin asked two of the officers if they would create some sort of document explaining what the rules and regulations are so that she can include it in a newsletter to all of her dealers, and add it into Wertz’s new dealer packets. They promised to do so, but nothing yet.
Ivory Warning From Collector magazine 