Ghana National Council

A River North gallery owner and his girlfriend were charged Tuesday with illegally importing and selling tribal artwork made from the feathers, tusks and skin of macaws, elephants, crocodiles and other endangered and protected animals.

Glen Joffe, 55, and Claudia Ashleigh-Morgan, 54, did not have the proper permits to sell the items that came from exotic locales in Asia, Africa and South America, authorities said. And they lied about the authenticity of certain items when stopped by O'Hare Airport customs inspectors three years ago, according to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who announced the 20-count federal indictment.

Many of the ethnic objects eventually seized by the government were being sold at Joffe's store, Primitive Art Works, at 706 N. Wells, Fitzgerald said.

Handicrafts -- including a pair of intricately carved elephant tusks, a multi-colored feathered headdress and a sea turtle comb -- were on display as federal officials recounted how the couple's smuggling came to light after U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents noticed materials made from endangered species in a photo-filled newspaper feature on their Oak Brook home.

Agents then visited their shop to eyeball the merchandise, and had the couple stopped at O'Hare on April 21, 2003, following a trip to Beijing.

'They made a mistake'

Joffe and Ashleigh-Morgan lied to customs officials, saying items fashioned from sea turtles and elephant tusks were made out of plastic and bone, the indictment said. They also falsely claimed that products made from wildlife were not sold at their store, authorities said.

The $250,000 in artwork was seized by the government two days later when agents searched their home, Primitive Art Works and the store's Bridgeport warehouse.

"The illegal wildlife market begins overseas with the poaching of some of the world's most majestic creatures and ends in places like Chicago where personal greed and trendy fashion combine to drive the demand," said Mary Jane Lavin of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Joffe's and Ashleigh-Morgan's lawyers said the two did not intentionally break the law and plan to plead guilty. "They made a mistake," attorney Thomas Durkin said. "They're going to cooperate and are eager to resolve it and put it behind them."

Durkin said the artifacts in question, some of which were purchased in open air markets that don't deal with paperwork, represent just 1 percent of the items sold in the furniture and accessories store.

The business itself is listed as a defendant in the indictment, separately charged with smuggling protected artifacts and violating the Endangered Species and Migratory Bird Treaty acts.

The indictment also alleges that Joffe illegally withdrew just under $10,000 from his business bank account before taking trips abroad to avoid cash transaction reporting requirements and using the money to buy the goods.