Norris pleads guilty
Spring man pleads guilty
to smuggling orchids Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle A Spring man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle prized tropical lady slipper orchids into the United States. George W. Norris also pleaded guilty Friday in a Miami courtroom to six other charges relating to smuggling orchids into the United States, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Monday. The retired salesman faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the seven counts. For each count, he could also be fined twice the amount he gained from his conduct, twice the amount he caused others to lose, or $250,000 -- whichever is greater. No attorney information was immediately available for Norris. Norris, who runs Spring Orchid Specialities out of a greenhouse behind his house, could not be reached for comment Monday. A woman who answered the phone at his Spring residence Monday night said he had gone to bed. His co-defendant, Manuel Arias Silva, a prominent Peruvian orchid grower, previously pleaded guilty to two counts and is waiting to be sentenced. According to the indictment, Silva sold several shipments of protected orchids to Norris between January 1999 and October 2003. The orchids were pulled from the wild and shipped alongside more common, nursery-raised flowers legally imported. The lady slipper is one of the Phragmipedium species of orchids. Several "phrags," as they are known in collecting circles, are considered seriously endangered in the wild and are protected under international treaties. Nursery-raised varieties can be exported with government permits. Arias shipped endangered orchids through Miami to Spring, where Norris resold them to high-end hobbyists at black-market prices. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.707 / Virus Database: 463 - Release Date: 15.06.04 |
Norris pleads guilty
Well, once Arias bit the bullet it appeared to be just a matter of time.
The whole thing is unfortunate, and somewhat sad to me. Thanks for the info, Reka. Diana |
Norris pleads guilty
Ditto!
K Barrett "Diana Kulaga" wrote in message link.net... Well, once Arias bit the bullet it appeared to be just a matter of time. The whole thing is unfortunate, and somewhat sad to me. Thanks for the info, Reka. Diana |
Norris pleads guilty
For those who are interested, there is a Message from Kathy Norris (Geroge's
wife) over on the Garden Web website. I didn't feel right posting it here, since I don't have permission from her. Link to message below. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...214828492.html |
Norris pleads guilty
I don't know George Norris; can't even recall doing any business with him
via email or Internet. But my years as a lawyer compel me to point out that a guilty plea is not always based on actual guilt. To roughly paraphrase an old saying [the exact wording and name of the author, I've forgotten] -- the US legal system stinks (going to trial is often a crapshoot); the only good thing to be said about it is that it's the best one around. No offense to our non-US participants, feel free to disagree with the latter part of the paraphrase; some days, I have my own doubts. -- Kenni Judd Juno Beach Orchids http://www.jborchids.com "Reka" wrote in message ... Spring man pleads guilty to smuggling orchids Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle A Spring man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle prized tropical lady slipper orchids into the United States. George W. Norris also pleaded guilty Friday in a Miami courtroom to six other charges relating to smuggling orchids into the United States, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Monday. The retired salesman faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the seven counts. For each count, he could also be fined twice the amount he gained from his conduct, twice the amount he caused others to lose, or $250,000 -- whichever is greater. No attorney information was immediately available for Norris. Norris, who runs Spring Orchid Specialities out of a greenhouse behind his house, could not be reached for comment Monday. A woman who answered the phone at his Spring residence Monday night said he had gone to bed. His co-defendant, Manuel Arias Silva, a prominent Peruvian orchid grower, previously pleaded guilty to two counts and is waiting to be sentenced. According to the indictment, Silva sold several shipments of protected orchids to Norris between January 1999 and October 2003. The orchids were pulled from the wild and shipped alongside more common, nursery-raised flowers legally imported. The lady slipper is one of the Phragmipedium species of orchids. Several "phrags," as they are known in collecting circles, are considered seriously endangered in the wild and are protected under international treaties. Nursery-raised varieties can be exported with government permits. Arias shipped endangered orchids through Miami to Spring, where Norris resold them to high-end hobbyists at black-market prices. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.707 / Virus Database: 463 - Release Date: 15.06.04 |
Norris pleads guilty
On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 15:02:38 -0700, Kenni Judd wrote
(in article ): I don't know George Norris; can't even recall doing any business with him via email or Internet. But my years as a lawyer compel me to point out that a guilty plea is not always based on actual guilt. To roughly paraphrase an old saying [the exact wording and name of the author, I've forgotten] Might it have been Dickens in Bleak House, "The law is a ass?" Tom Walnut Creek, CA To reply by e-mail, remove APPENDIX |
Norris pleads guilty
"Kenni Judd" schrieb im Newsbeitrag ...
I don't know George Norris; can't even recall doing any business with him via email or Internet. But my years as a lawyer compel me to point out that a guilty plea is not always based on actual guilt. I was not intending to post as an opinion, but solely as an article concerning orchids and information on a topic that had been discussed here in the past. -- Reka This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it! http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.710 / Virus Database: 466 - Release Date: 23.06.04 |
Norris pleads guilty
Kenni Judd wrote:
I don't know George Norris; can't even recall doing any business with him via email or Internet. But my years as a lawyer compel me to point out that a guilty plea is not always based on actual guilt. To roughly paraphrase an old saying [the exact wording and name of the author, I've forgotten] -- the US legal system stinks (going to trial is often a crapshoot); the only good thing to be said about it is that it's the best one around. Or he may be too old and too tired of fighting to want to go to trial... Or he is guilty. Or both. I think I got a bunch of Mexican species from him maybe 10 years ago. I don't think any of them were illegal (or even on appendix II), and he sent me a copious amount of paperwork indicating they were legal, not that I understand that kind of stuff... Many of the old time orchid sellers are guilty of a little orchid smuggling (or a lot). Perhaps that is because they were used to being able to easily import what they wanted before CITES, and couldn't be bothered (or couldn't understand why they should be bothered) to comply with the new regulations. I think the newer generation of orchid vendors is a little more wary of the regulations, having never known anything else and having seen a few showy examples of enforcement. That is why the feds go after the well known guys, in case you weren't jaded and cynical enough to have noticed that on your own. There is always going to be a market for smuggled plants (unfortunately), it is just like anything else that the authorities say we can't have - the price goes up in lockstep with the risk of supply. We could start a whole thread on CITES (we've done it in the past), but my personal opinion is that it doesn't work for plants. Great for animals, which you can't raise from seed or take cuttings of. Silly for plants. Let's allow the plants to go extinct in their habitat, whilst simultaneously preventing any introduction of these plants into cultivation where they would at least continue to exist... Fix CITES in one fell swoop by 1) make it easy and cheap to propagate desirable plants, 2) ship them in flask so that we can see they were propagated, and 3) let the market work from there. Habitat loss is the main threat to most of these orchids, use the money you make on flasks to buy a mountain on Java somewhere. I think the phrase Kenni is looking for is 'There is no worse system of government than democracy, except for all of the other ones" (to paraphrase a paraphrase).. -- Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren 1) There is always room for one more orchid 2) There is always room for two more orchids 2a. See rule 1 3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase more orchids, obtain more credit |
Norris pleads guilty
Rob Halgren ) wrote:
: We could start a whole thread on CITES (we've done it in the past), but : my personal opinion is that it doesn't work for plants. Great for : animals, which you can't raise from seed or take cuttings of. That is not strictly true. One can (and many do) take cuttings of corals and grow them up so to speak. Many aquaculture operations are sprouting up (pun intended) that do this commercially. All Scleractinia (aka corals) are CITES appendix II. I agree with your point though. CITES is about trade in plants and animals that threatens their existence. Practices that allow trade while protecting their existence (e.g. by lessening the demand for wild collected specimens) is to be encouraged and not ignored or lumped together with all other types of trade. I make my point about corals to dispel the notion that no types of animals can be propagated in the fashion you mention. Dave |
Norris pleads guilty
Dave Sheehy wrote:
I make my point about corals to dispel the notion that no types of animals can be propagated in the fashion you mention. Well, in this case you are actually separating individual organisms from a colony (if I recall properly, no guarantee of that...), so it isn't quite the same thing as dividing a plant, but I take your point. I seem to recall that flatworms can be split in half, if you are looking for a more exact analogy... And I'm sure there are some plants that can't easily be propagated (lots of cacti are very slow growers, for example). I don't have a problem with restricting trade in slow growing plants (or corals!). I think we both agree that the easily propagated things should be propagated and distributed to reduce collection pressure, however, which was my main argument. That raises the question of whether all orchid species are easily propagated. The answer is most certainly no! But many of the horticulturally desirable ones (the ones that get smuggled the most) are fairly easy to grow from seed with the proper equipment. Additionally, since a flask is an obviously artificial environment, sending such a flask is obvious evidence of artificial propagation. Should make plant inspectors happy. Rob -- Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren 1) There is always room for one more orchid 2) There is always room for two more orchids 2a. See rule 1 3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase more orchids, obtain more credit |
Norris pleads guilty
Rob Halgren ) wrote:
: Dave Sheehy wrote: : I make my point about corals to dispel the notion that no types of : animals can be propagated in the fashion you mention. : : Well, in this case you are actually separating individual organisms : from a colony (if I recall properly, no guarantee of that...), so it : isn't quite the same thing as dividing a plant, but I take your point. You are largely correct. There are a few genera, commonly known as mushroom corals, that are single polyps (i.e. individuals) that can be propagated by taking pie shaped cuttings from a single individual. : I seem to recall that flatworms can be split in half, if you are looking : for a more exact analogy... And I'm sure there are some plants that : can't easily be propagated (lots of cacti are very slow growers, for : example). I don't have a problem with restricting trade in slow growing : plants (or corals!). I think we both agree that the easily propagated : things should be propagated and distributed to reduce collection : pressure, however, which was my main argument. I think we may have a misunderstanding here. Although cuttings are taken from fast growing wild corals and sold commercially I'm talking about cuttings taken from captively grown mother colonies that are sold commercially. There are several slow growing (compared to other species) corals that are very popular in the trade. It is to my mind even more important to find ways to captively propagate these species for trade purposes. I should think that this would apply to orchids as well. That is, enable some commercial operation with the expertise to propagate the more difficult species and offer them for sale. : That raises the question of whether all orchid species are easily : propagated. The answer is most certainly no! But many of the : horticulturally desirable ones (the ones that get smuggled the most) are : fairly easy to grow from seed with the proper equipment. Additionally, : since a flask is an obviously artificial environment, sending such a : flask is obvious evidence of artificial propagation. Should make plant : inspectors happy. Similarly, corals are grown onto substrates (e.g. concrete discs) that make it obvious they have been artificially propagated. Dave |
Norris pleads guilty
Thats what I do for a living.
Dustin That is not strictly true. One can (and many do) take cuttings of corals and grow them up so to speak. Many aquaculture operations are sprouting up (pun intended) that do this commercially. All Scleractinia (aka corals) are CITES appendix II. I agree with your point though. CITES is about trade in plants and animals that threatens their existence. Practices that allow trade while protecting their existence (e.g. by lessening the demand for wild collected specimens) is to be encouraged and not ignored or lumped together with all other types of trade. I make my point about corals to dispel the notion that no types of animals can be propagated in the fashion you mention. Dave |
Norris pleads guilty
Hey;
1) make it easy and cheap to propagate desirable plants, 2) ship them in flask so that we can see they were propagated, Amen, but remember to use clear agar in the flask. As customs inspectors worry about drug smuggling in the dark agar. If you remember the bouhaha a few years back. *GRIN* Jerry Camp Lot A Noise Tropicals (C. L. A. N.) Orchid Species, Hybrids, Supplies, Photos and Books Chat (941) 352-2483 Fax: (941) 351-2483 X 123 Order Only 1-800-351-CITE |
Norris pleads guilty
Fortunately, there's no need to go with clear agar. The comments
received in conjunction with running the fault tree to find out precisely how detrimental the use of activated charcoal in orchid flasks would be were sufficient to dissuade additional restrictions on darkening agents _in vitro_. Now it's about the quantity and type of seed you can import without special permits. It's always something new. NO e-mail to the address in the header. Spam trap. -AJHicks Chandler, AZ |
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:04 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
GardenBanter