Federal prosecutors announced a deal to drop a criminal case against Gibson Guitar Corp. after the instrument maker acknowledged it imported exotic wood in violation of environmental laws.
Gibson agreed to pay a $300,000 penalty, forfeit claims to about $262,000 worth of wood seized by federal agents and contribute $50,000 to promote the conservation of protected tree species. Gibson’s decision to cooperate with the Lacey Act banning the import of endangered wood products stood in contrast to a previous publicity campaign mounted in protest.
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