A Chinese national has been arraigned in federal court on charges he led a conspiracy to illegally smuggle $700,000 worth of goods made from banned rhinoceros horn, elephant ivory and coral.
The indictment alleges Guan Zong Chen bought artifacts at auction houses in Florida, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Texas.
The reports says he conspired with an unidentified Chinese national to pick up the items and mail them to a shipping business in Massachusetts, which repackaged and falsely labeled them. Trade in rhinoceros horn, elephant ivory and coral has been regulated since 1976 under an international treaty.
Chen was arrested last year while traveling from China to Australia, which extradited him to the U.S. on a 2015 indictment.
He pleaded not guilty in federal court in Boston Monday.