"Chait is charged in one count of conspiring to smuggle rhinoceros horns and to violate the Lacey Act," the release stated. "The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison."
From approximately 2009 and 2012, Chait and his co-conspirators purchased rhinoceros horns and taxidermy mounts in the United States and planned to sell them to foreign buyers privately, according to the indictment. Chait plotted at least 8 deals involving 15 horns worth nearly $2.4 million.
The defendant is scheduled to appear before the Manhattan federal court in New York next week. The maximum sentence is prescribed by the US Congress, but will be determined by the judge.
White rhinoceroses thrive in protected sanctuaries in Africa and are classified as being nearly threatened, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Similarly, the numbers of black rhinos are a fraction of the estimated 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century.
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