NEW YORK – A Town of Clarkstown man has been convicted for felony illegal commercialization of elephant ivory worth some $70,000.
Kenneth Kerner, 59, was sentenced to five years of probation, 200 hours of community service, an obligation to donate $10,000 to a wildlife non-governmental organization, relinquishing three ivory pool cues offered during the illicit sale, and reimbursement of $15,000 to the New York City District Attorney’s Office.
Kerner was also compelled to post a public statement on his social media account to increase awareness and discourage the illegal ivory trade.
A joint investigation began in the summer of 2020 into the illegal commercialization of billiard cues made of elephant ivory with asking prices as high as $45,000.
The seller offered three ivory cues for sale, one of them for $15,000. Once an investigator cleared the sale, the DA’s office arrested him.
The investigation was conducted by the State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Manhattan DA’s office.
