Feds Raid California Kilt Store

[Downix]

Weird...

[Riverkilt]

What's weird for me is I thought that outfit was out of business in Palm Springs - based on past threads on this forum....??

Last line cracked me up, that the store's owner was unavailable for comment....also sounds like previous posts to this forum.

Gonna be interesting how this all shakes out, despite the reporter's ignorance. Judges usually demand some pretty strong reasons before issuing a search warrant. Sounds like the tail end of an investigation with the Feds tracking sealskin sporran shipments to the U.S.

Do keep us posted.

Ron

[ronstew]

So the article, which says, "U.S. law prohibits the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the United States, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972," does not tell the whole story.

Anyway, this is news to me.

[Wompet]

As was discussed in a recent thread, not all seals are in danger of extinction, thus the importation of not all sealskins are prohibitied. Of course, it is conceivable that problems could arise if the agent on duty wasn't able to distinguish on the spot which was which.

The thread mentioned is here: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/seal_sporrans-t42520/index.html
Gilmore hit the nail on the head. Field identification of hair-on-skin, especially on a finished product, is pretty much limited to family or maybe to genus - seal, rabbit, muskrat, badger, fox, cow, beaver, et cetera. (I did this at a SOKS kilt night. Ask Grant about my squirrel. ) If the agents from NOAA found sealskin sporrans, all they could do in the store is say "These are seal." Then they would take them back for laboratory identification of genus and possibly species. Alternatively, Celtic Craft Centre could provide documentation that the sporrans were either a) made of permitted species, or b) legally imported.
So, at this point, NOAA (and probably US FWS) have any sporrans they seized. Either they are shown to be illegal merchandise, in which case the store faces legal repercussions, or they are shown to be permitted, and the store gets its merchandise back.

[RockyR]

So, at this point, NOAA (and probably US FWS) have any sporrans they seized. Either they are shown to be illegal merchandise, in which case the store faces legal repercussions, or they are shown to be permitted, and the store gets its merchandise back.

What happens if they ARE shown to be seal, but were legally imported as bovine? What if the company SHIPPING them (in Scotland) shipped the wrong animal?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

What happens if they ARE shown to be seal, but were legally imported as bovine? What if the company SHIPPING them (in Scotland) shipped the wrong animal?

If they tried to pull as fast one (calling seal bovine) then someone is likely to face some jail time. If the shipper sent seal by mistake, then USC would probably destroy the sealskin sporrans as items prohibited entry into the US and issue a warning (with a possible fine attached) to the company in the UK that sent the goods to the USA.

[Jack Daw]

I am surprised by this article. I have not visited the Palm Springs or SFO store, but have visited the Edinburgh shop in Paisley Close and their traveling store quite a bit and was treated very courteously on all occasions. I purchased my first two kilts from them as well as one other kilt (a special weave), my pc and vest, two fly plaids, a pair of hose, and a plaid brooch. In the U.S., I suspect the company makes more business by traveling the Highland games circuit rather than through its Palm Springs store front and may account, without excuse, the poor service that Hamish experienced at that store.

[Zardoz]

I heard the real reason for the raid; the Feds were tipped by the Kilt Police that the store was selling flatcaps, ballcaps and other 'gateway' non-regulation headware!

[piperdbh]

I heard the real reason for the raid; the Feds were tipped by the Kilt Police that the store was selling flatcaps, ballcaps and other 'gateway' non-regulation headware!

...and in the back room they had cream-colored hose, too!

[Southern Breeze]

I heard the real reason for the raid; the Feds were tipped by the Kilt Police that the store was selling flatcaps, ballcaps and other 'gateway' non-regulation headware!

The Kilt Police are nothing compared to Agents from M.I.B - Men In Blackwatch. They have those flashy thingies.