[meteorite-list] Honduran Moon Rock Forfeited To The United States

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:09:59 2004
Message-ID: <200304010738.XAA12195_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Office of Inspector General
Washington, D.C. 20546

March 31, 2003

RELEASE 2003-025: HONDURAN MOON ROCK FORFEITED TO THE UNITED STATES

 On March 26, 2003, U. S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan, ordered that
the United States is entitled to forfeit a moon rock stolen from the
government of the Republic of Honduras and introduced into the United
States in violation of United States Customs laws.

The moon rock was originally given to the Republic of Honduras as one
of many goodwill gifts of moon rocks and other lunar mission mementos
given to friendly nations in 1973. Law enforcement agents, in a sting
operation aimed at preventing fraudulent moon rock and lunar material
sales, seized the moon rock after it had been imported into the United
States. The government of Honduras then formally requested the United
States to return the moon rock to Honduras.

The United States filed a complaint in federal court against the moon
rock's importer seeking forfeiture of the moon rock on the grounds that
it was stolen property introduced into the United States in violation
of customs laws. The Federal Court found that the government and the
people of the Republic of Honduras had not transferred title to the
moon rock under Honduran law and the court upheld the forfeiture of the
property.

Special Agents from the NASA Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland
Security, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the
investigation. Assistant United States Attorney James H. Swain and
United States Customs Service Attorney Jonathan Zwibel handled the
case.

For more information on this release, please contact Joseph Kroener,
Acting Executive Officer, NASA Office of Inspector General, at (202)
358-2558.

For a copy of the decision in pdf format click here:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/oig/hq/press/honduran1.pdf

                             *** End ***
Received on Tue 01 Apr 2003 02:38:06 AM PST