Hobby Lobby fined $3 million over smuggled Iraqi artifacts

[Nilly]

https://apnews.com/c8dfdf8123cf4c839ed7a3ca2ccf7573

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Federal prosecutors say Hobby Lobby Stores has agreed to pay a $3 million federal fine and forfeit thousands of ancient Iraqi artifacts smuggled from the Middle East that the government alleges were intentionally mislabled.

Prosecutors filed a civil complaint in New York on Wednesday in which Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby consented to the fine and forfeiture of thousands of tablets and bricks written in cuneiform, one of the earliest systems of writing, as well as other artifacts that prosecutors say were shipped without proper documentation.

Case details can be found herein: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/p...it-thousands-ancient-iraqi-artifacts-imported

Note the below, it looks like Hobby Lobby ignored experts warnings that these purchases were looted.

In October 2010, an expert on cultural property law retained by Hobby Lobby warned the company that the acquisition of cultural property likely from Iraq, including cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals, carries a risk that such objects may have been looted from archaeological sites in Iraq. The expert also advised Hobby Lobby to review its collection of antiquities for any objects of Iraqi origin and to verify that their country of origin was properly declared at the time of importation into the United States. The expert warned Hobby Lobby that an improper declaration of country of origin for cultural property could lead to seizure and forfeiture of the artifacts by CBP.

Now. Here's where it get interesting. Last year the NYTimes published an article about how ISIS make money by selling pillaged ancient artifacts.

'Broken System’ Allows ISIS to Profit From Looted Antiquities

In one rusting shed behind an apartment block here, they found a cache of looted antiquities: 19 classical statues and fragments of marble or limestone.

Among them was a square tablet depicting a procession. If genuine, its style would make it neither Roman nor Greek, like the rest, but even older, dating back nearly 5,000 years. Its appearance suggested it came from the ancient Sumerian city of Lagash, in what is today southern Iraq.

The police raid here, last March, was heralded as a rare success against the trafficking of antiquities, a crime that reached new levels as the Islamic State militant group took control of parts of Syria and Iraq, and destroyed and looted ancient sites.

Hobby Lobby caught purchasing ancient Iraqi artifacts and ISIS caught selling artifacts of a similar description, also from ancient Iraq? You do the math.

Feel free to continue doing business at this place but just keep in mind where your $$$ are going and the integrity of the people who would do things like this.

 

[ocean515]

https://apnews.com/c8dfdf8123cf4c839ed7a3ca2ccf7573



Case details can be found herein: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/p...it-thousands-ancient-iraqi-artifacts-imported

Note the below, it looks like Hobby Lobby ignored experts warnings that these purchases were looted.




Now. Here's where it get interesting. Last year the NYTimes published an article about how ISIS make money by selling pillaged ancient artifacts.

'Broken System’ Allows ISIS to Profit From Looted Antiquities



Hobby Lobby caught purchasing ancient Iraqi artifacts and ISIS caught selling artifacts of a similar description, also from ancient Iraq? You do the math.

Feel free to continue doing business at this place but just keep in mind where your $$$ are going and the integrity of the people who would do things like this.

Just got to put the hate on those religious zealots huh?

From the AP Story

Hobby Lobby executed an agreement to purchase over 5,500 artifacts in December 2010 for $1.6 million. Prosecutors say acquisition of the artifacts “was fraught with red flags” and that packages bore shipping labels that described their contents as “ceramic tiles.”

Prosecutors say Hobby Lobby has agreed to adopt internal policies for importing cultural property and training its personnel.

In a statement, Hobby Lobby President Steve Green says the company cooperated with the government and “should have exercised more oversight and carefully questioned how the acquisitions were handled.”

Green said Hobby Lobby began acquiring a variety of historical Bibles and other artifacts in 2009.

“Our passion for the Bible continues, and we will do all that we can to support the efforts to conserve items that will help illuminate and enhance our understanding of this Great Book,” Green said.​

 

[reinoe]

https://apnews.com/c8dfdf8123cf4c839ed7a3ca2ccf7573



Case details can be found herein: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/p...it-thousands-ancient-iraqi-artifacts-imported

Note the below, it looks like Hobby Lobby ignored experts warnings that these purchases were looted.




Now. Here's where it get interesting. Last year the NYTimes published an article about how ISIS make money by selling pillaged ancient artifacts.

'Broken System’ Allows ISIS to Profit From Looted Antiquities



Hobby Lobby caught purchasing ancient Iraqi artifacts and ISIS caught selling artifacts of a similar description, also from ancient Iraq? You do the math.

Feel free to continue doing business at this place but just keep in mind where your $$$ are going and the integrity of the people who would do things like this.

ISIS and Hobby Lobby both support fundamentalist religious doctrines so I'm not surprised that this was a match made in heaven.

 

[Josie]

So....... are you actually saying that Hobby Lobby is buying these things and selling them to ISIS?

 

[Taylor]

Somebody's mosaic soap holder they made for Mother's Day just got a whole lot more valuable.

 

[Josie]

ISIS and Hobby Lobby both support fundamentalist religious doctrines so I'm not surprised that this was a match made in heaven.

Um -- why would a Christian company want anything to do with a group of people who kill Christians?

 

[Cigar]

I'm soo heart broken :mrgreen:

 

[Nilly]

Just got to put the hate on those religious zealots huh?

From the AP Story

Hobby Lobby executed an agreement to purchase over 5,500 artifacts in December 2010 for $1.6 million. Prosecutors say acquisition of the artifacts “was fraught with red flags” and that packages bore shipping labels that described their contents as “ceramic tiles.”

Prosecutors say Hobby Lobby has agreed to adopt internal policies for importing cultural property and training its personnel.

In a statement, Hobby Lobby President Steve Green says the company cooperated with the government and “should have exercised more oversight and carefully questioned how the acquisitions were handled.”

Green said Hobby Lobby began acquiring a variety of historical Bibles and other artifacts in 2009.

“Our passion for the Bible continues, and we will do all that we can to support the efforts to conserve items that will help illuminate and enhance our understanding of this Great Book,” Green said.​

Not sure how any of this reflects well on Hobby Lobby.

So....... are you actually saying that Hobby Lobby is buying these things and selling them to ISIS?

No... try again.

Um -- why would a Christian company want anything to do with a group of people who kill Christians?

Because $$$.

Faith doesn't buy Ferraris... unless you exploit other peoples.

 

[Harshaw]

So....... are you actually saying that Hobby Lobby is buying these things and selling them to ISIS?

No, I think he's saying that Hobby Lobby is funding ISIS.

Problem with that is that their purchases here predate ISIS.

 

[Moot]

So the money Hobby Lobby saves by not providing healthcare for their female employees goes to pay ISIS for stolen artifacts...and all in the name of religion. Well, isn't that just special.

 

[Josie]

So the money Hobby Lobby saves by not providing healthcare for their female employees goes to pay ISIS for stolen artifacts...and all in the name of religion. Well, isn't that just special.

Can you be any more dishonest? Sheesh.

 

[calamity]

https://apnews.com/c8dfdf8123cf4c839ed7a3ca2ccf7573



Case details can be found herein: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/p...it-thousands-ancient-iraqi-artifacts-imported

Note the below, it looks like Hobby Lobby ignored experts warnings that these purchases were looted.




Now. Here's where it get interesting. Last year the NYTimes published an article about how ISIS make money by selling pillaged ancient artifacts.

'Broken System’ Allows ISIS to Profit From Looted Antiquities



Hobby Lobby caught purchasing ancient Iraqi artifacts and ISIS caught selling artifacts of a similar description, also from ancient Iraq? You do the math.

Feel free to continue doing business at this place but just keep in mind where your $$$ are going and the integrity of the people who would do things like this.

Isn't Hobby Lobby all about being a "Christian" company to the point that they can deny people birth control? I guess stealing **** and receiving stolen goods is Christian but preventing unwanted pregnancies is the work of the devil.

 

[calamity]

Can you be any more dishonest? Sheesh.

Can Hobby Lobby?

 

[Nilly]

No, I think he's saying that Hobby Lobby is funding ISIS.

Problem with that is that their purchases here predate ISIS.

ISIS have been around since 1999 and these purchases were made in 2011.

So the money Hobby Lobby saves by not providing healthcare for their female employees goes to pay ISIS for stolen artifacts...and all in the name of religion. Well, isn't that just special.

Good thing for Hobby Lobby that "Do not steal" isn't next to "Do not provide women employees contemporary medicine" on the 10 Commandments.

 

[Henrin]

So the money Hobby Lobby saves by not providing healthcare for their female employees goes to pay ISIS for stolen artifacts...and all in the name of religion. Well, isn't that just special.

You mean health insurance, not healthcare. They also DO provide health insurance to their female employees.

 

[Nilly]

Can you be any more dishonest? Sheesh.

What's dishonest about it?

They presumably save money by not covering certain forms of medicine.

Then they pay millions for stolen artifacts so that they can 'better understand the bible' with money that likely ends up with Islamic extremists.

 

[SMTA]

Just got to put the hate on those religious zealots huh?

From the AP Story

Hobby Lobby executed an agreement to purchase over 5,500 artifacts in December 2010 for $1.6 million. Prosecutors say acquisition of the artifacts “was fraught with red flags” and that packages bore shipping labels that described their contents as “ceramic tiles.”

Prosecutors say Hobby Lobby has agreed to adopt internal policies for importing cultural property and training its personnel.

In a statement, Hobby Lobby President Steve Green says the company cooperated with the government and “should have exercised more oversight and carefully questioned how the acquisitions were handled.”

Green said Hobby Lobby began acquiring a variety of historical Bibles and other artifacts in 2009.

“Our passion for the Bible continues, and we will do all that we can to support the efforts to conserve items that will help illuminate and enhance our understanding of this Great Book,” Green said.​

They cooperated once they got caught.

Well bully for them.

**** Hobby Lobby - karma is a wonderful thing.

 

[ocean515]

Not sure how any of this reflects well on Hobby Lobby.

Based on the story, it only shows they need to do a better job vetting the sources they use to acquire things they are trying to collect.

What does reflect poorly, is your take on their effort.

 

[Harshaw]

ISIS have been around since 1999 and these purchases were made in 2011.

No. These purchases were 2010, according to your story, and ISIS was formed from various vaguely al Qaeda-aligned groups in 2014.

There is absolutely no evidence that HL purchased anything from any of them, though clearly you want them to have. This is just adolescent snottiness.

 

[ocean515]

They cooperated once they got caught.

Well bully for them.

**** Hobby Lobby - karma is a wonderful thing.

No need to add evidence to the hate some have for religious people.

 

[Henrin]

They cooperated once they got caught.

Well bully for them.

**** Hobby Lobby - karma is a wonderful thing.

Yeah, because **** free choice where people agree to terms they find agreeable. The employees are not entitled to certain benefits that Hobby Lobby doesn't want to provide.

 

[SMTA]

No need to add evidence to the hate some have for religious people.

Nice dodge - thieves and cheaters have many faces especially religious ones.

Time to grow up.

 

[Josie]

What's dishonest about it?

They presumably save money by not covering certain forms of medicine.
.

That's not what she said. She said Hobby Lobby provides no healthcare (which, we all know she means health insurance) for their female employees. Dishonest.

 

[Nilly]

No. These purchases were 2010, according to your story, and ISIS was formed from various vaguely al Qaeda-aligned groups in 2014.

There is absolutely no evidence that HL purchased anything from any of them, though clearly you want them to have. This is just adolescent snottiness.

ISIS originated as Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad in 1999.

And like I said in OP. ISIS selling items of a specific description pillaged from Iraq and Hotel Lobby buying items also of a similar description pillaged from ancient Iraq? I'm sure there were third parties involved, and the Hobby Lobby CEO didn't toast with the ISIS leader but that doesn't excuse Hobby Lobby's oversight here.

 

[Nilly]

That's not what she said. She said Hobby Lobby provides no healthcare (which, we all know she means health insurance) for their female employees. Dishonest.

Exactly. We all knew what she meant. She just used fewer words. Whoop-de-doo.