Nantucket Man Accused of Trafficking in Sperm Whale Teeth

On May 13, a federal grand jury sitting in Boston returned an indictment that was unsealed Friday against David L. Place, the owner of Manor House Antiques Cooperative in Nantucket.

Place was arrested Friday at his home on Nantucket.

The indictment charges Place with multiple counts of conspiracy and Lacey Act violations for buying and illegally importing sperm whale teeth into the United States, as well as selling the teeth after their illegal importation.

The indictment alleges that from 2001 to 2004, Place knowingly purchased and imported sperm whale teeth into the United States in violation of federal law.

Sperm whales are classified as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which prohibits commercial trade in listed species.

Vintage whale scrimshaw Moby Dick trinket jewelry box (Photo credit unknown)

It is illegal to import sperm whale teeth into the United States without the required permits and certifications, and without declaring the merchandise at the time of importation to U.S. Customs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The indictment also alleges that Place conspired with people located in Ukraine to illegally import the protected whale teeth for re-sale in the United States.

Sperm whale teeth can fetch large sums of money from collectors and tourists when they are used for scrimshaw, the art of etching, engraving or carving designs in the teeth or in objects made from them.

If convicted of these charges, Place faces up to five years in prison on each of the most serious charges, as well as fines up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by agents from National Oceanic and Atomospheric Administration - Office of Law Enforcement, the Fish and Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus, are the largest of the toothed whales. There are between 20 and 26 large conical teeth in each side of a sperm whale's lower jaw.

Between 1800 and 1987, commercial whalers took a total of at least 436,000 sperm whales, but the actual takes may be as high as 1,000,000, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Protected Resources. Still, the sperm whale remains the most abundant of the large whale species.

Currently, NOAA says, there is no good estimate for the total number of sperm whales worldwide. The best estimate, that there are between 200,000 and 1,500,000 sperm whales, is based on extrapolations from only a few areas that have useful estimates.

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