Senior Official of Beverly Hills Auction House Sentenced for Wildlife Trafficking

Joseph Chait, 38, of Beverly Hills, California, the senior auction administrator of I.M. Chait Gallery, located in Beverly Hills, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison and a $10,000 fine for conspiring to smuggle wildlife products made from rhinoceros horn, elephant ivory and coral with a market value of at least $1 million, announced Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for the Southern District of New York and Director Dan Ashe for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). On March 9, Chait pleaded guilty to a two-count Information before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken for the Southern District of New York, who imposed today’s sentence.

“Conspiring in the trafficking endangered wildlife is a serious crime, and those involved in the auction industry should take note that facilitating this trade can result in prison,” said Assistant Attorney General Cruden. “The African Elephant, the rhinoceros, and coral are all deeply threatened species that have undergone dramatic losses in recent decades as the trade in them has become highly lucrative. We must stop this trade, and we will vigorously investigate and prosecute those engaged in it.”

“By illegally trafficking in wildlife, including rhinoceros horns, Joseph Chait and his co-conspirators have fueled the illegal trade in endangered wildlife,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara. “Chait’s conduct, a federal crime for which he will now spend time in prison, threatened the already precarious existence of certain endangered species of animals.” Read more

Poachers, Wildlife

Barnett’s Vertical Youth Bow Helps Kids Fall in Love With Archery


Barnett may be known for their top-quality crossbows, but they’re equally committed to ensuring the future of archery and all bowhunting. Nowhere is that more apparent than with the Buck Commander line of vertical youth bows.Designed to help kids get into the sport and develop proper technique, the Banshee, Lil’ Banshee and Lil’ Sioux are, above all, designed to help next generations fall in love with archery.
Each of these Buck Commander-endorsed bows are affordable and come with everything kids need to start shooting right away. All of the bows work equally well for right or left handed shooters and come with adjustable draw lengths for a perfect fit. Read more
Archery

Lyman Cyclone Tumbler


Achieve a Mirror Shine with a Single Spin Cycle!The Cyclone Rotary Tumbler takes brass cleaning to a whole new level. The rotary tumbling action combined with the stainless steel media and liquid cleaning solution gets brass cleaner on the outside in a one hour cycle than vibratory tumbling methods. The small stainless pins easily slip inside cases and into primer pockets to provide superior cleaning action in these areas. The large capacity drum holds up to 1000 pieces of .223 brass and features a rubber lining to protect brass and greatly reduce noise during operation. A built in timer in the base can be set to run from 0 to 3 hours, shutting off automatically. The drum features a large end cap to allow easy loading and unloading. In addition, the tumbler comes with a pair of unique sifter pans which makes separating pins from the cases a breeze! Simply empty the tumbler into the stacked pans. The first pan catches the brass, while the second fine screen pan catches the pins. Five pounds of stainless media pins and a sample packet of Brass Cleaning Solution are also included.

Check out our YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_eUktluF_k

 Price: $229.95 (MSRP) Part #7631550

Ammunition

Wilson Combat Ultralight Carry Professional


Maximized for everyday concealment and enhanced shooting comfort, the Ultralight Carry Professional is the best of both worlds! The full-size aluminum frame is 60% lighter than a comparable steel frame and will hold up to extensive practice time at the range.The short, 4″ Compact slide clears your holster quickly yet sacrifices little when it comes to accuracy or recoil control. Light in weight but loaded with options, you will not be disappointed with this new variation that maximizes concealment and shooting comfort.

The Ultralight Carry Professional comes standard with a host of standard features like a round butt aluminum mainspring housing, countersunk slide stop, fluted chamber and carry cuts/ball endmill cuts. The Ultralight Carry Professional looks as well as it performs and is truly a carry gun for the 21st Century.

Firearms

Michigan urges travelers to leave firewood at home

As the summer travel season begins, the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources remind vacationers to leave firewood at home to prevent the spread of invasive tree insects and diseases.

Hauling firewood from one part of the state to another is a common way for these destructive pests to move to new locations, which could be devastating to Michigan’s native trees. The emerald ash borer already has wiped out millions of ash trees across the state. High-impact diseases, including oak wilt and beech bark disease, now are making their way through Michigan – often helped by travelers with trunkloads of wood harboring unseen fungi that can spread to healthy trees in new areas.

“Visual inspection does not always reveal disease or insect damage in wood,” said Gina Alessandri, MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division director. “Disease may be in an early stage, and insect larvae can be hidden under bark. The safest choice is to burn firewood at or near the location it was harvested.” Read more

Wildlife

Beretta In- Field Armorer Schools


Accokeek, Maryland –– Beretta USA is now offering armorer training on our line of LE/Military firearms including the 92/96 (M9) and Px4 Storm pistol series at the In-Field locations listed below. Space is limited, so please register today.The Beretta Armorer Training Courses are designed for the Law Enforcement/Military armorer, firearms instructor and technician. These courses provide complete, detailed answers to specific questions concerning the mechanical functioning, operating procedures, field stripping, inspection, trouble shooting, and maintenance of our firearms. Read more
Firearms

Strike From the Ground or Air With Barnett Raptor Crossbows


Birds of Prey like the Raptor are known to strike from anywhere with instant lethality, making them the perfect inspiration for the critically acclaimed Raptor family of Barnett crossbows, including the award-winning Raptor FX2 and the radically efficient BC Raptor Reverse.Using their speed and maneuverability Raptors are considered to be one most efficient predators out there. These qualities are directly reflected in the FX2. At just 6.5 pounds, it’s easy to carry afield or use in the air. The light 150-pound draw produces an impressive 330 fps arrow speed and 97 pounds of kinetic energy.

Custom Composite Laminated Limbs are powered by Barnett’s exclusive Crosswire® String and Cable System for power and efficiency. The lightweight composite stock is topped with a CNC-machined 7/8″ Picatinny rail for solid and reliable scope mounting, as well as an adjustable butt pad that creates a custom fit for shooters of any size.

The Raptor FX2 also features Barnett’s new patented Floating Bristle Retainer (F.B.R.), providing superior arrow retention and assures proper arrow to flight track engagement. Safety features include an anti-dry fire trigger, finger reminders and pass-through foregrip. Read more

Archery

Flying guns? Michigan lawmakers seek to ban weaponized drones

Legislation would make it a crime in Michigan to weaponize an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Democratic state Rep. Jon Hoadley of Kalamazoo says: “We don’t need flying guns in Michigan.” He says the legislation introduced earlier this month would make it illegal for weapons, even those legally attainable in Michigan, to be attached to a drone.

“This is one of those where no matter where you fall on the Second Amendment conversation, most people agree this far exceeds that and there is too much danger associated with it,” Hoadley told FOX 17.

“The responsible gun owner can’t even imagine pulling the trigger without seeing the sightline, but that’s exactly what could be happening with these drones.”

More here…

Gun Control

Michigan: State Adds 103rd State Park


DNR announces Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve in southern Michigan as Michigan’s 103rd state parkThe Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced a $2.9 million purchase of 717 acres of land in Norvell Township, Jackson County. Combined with 405 acres of contiguous land owned by the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission in Manchester Township, the property will become the 1,122-acre Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve.

The DNR property will become Michigan’s 103rd state park and will be the first state park in Michigan to be jointly managed with a county recreation agency. Adoption of a formal management plan to guide the development of the park will take place following a series of yet to be scheduled public input meetings. The park’s planned recreational offerings include hiking, bird watching, upland hunting, mountain biking and other activities. Read more

Wildlife

SCOTUS Passes On Sandy Hook Suit, Congress Passes on Gun Measures

Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court declined to take up a constitution challenge to the Connecticut law banning certain semi-automatic weapons and magazines passed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Plaintiffs in Shew v. Malloy had hoped the court would rule in the case, clarifying Second Amendment questions remaining following the high court’s 2008 Heller decision.

Meanwhile, on capitol hill, the Senate took up dueling measures introduced following the worst mass-shooting in U.S. history. Four measures – two from both parties – were introduced, none of which reached the 60-vote threshold required for passage.

A fifth measure is still being crafted by moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Her bill would bar people on the government’s no-fly list from gun purchases, a significantly smaller number of people than the government’s terror watch list. Collins’ measure also sets protections in place for anyone wrongly placed on the no-fly list. Regardless of actions in the Senate, House Speaker Paul Ryan has made it know that there’s little chance any of the Senate measures will get a vote there.

Gun Control
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