Texas Antiques Appraiser Sentenced to 25 Months in Prison for Rhino and Ivory Smuggling Conspiracy

Ning Qiu, 43, of Frisco, Texas, an appraiser of Asian art, was sentenced today in Beaumont, Texas, to 25 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to smuggle rhinoceros horns and objects made from rhino horn and elephant ivory, from the United States to China. Qiu was also directed to pay a $150,000 fine, which was directed to the Lacey Act Reward Fund. The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas and the Directorfor the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

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