Federal Agents Get Wood From Gibson Guitars

Some how with all of the hurricane coverage, this little story must have slipped by me, but WOW! Federal Agents raided Gibson Guitar manufacturing facilities in Nashville, and Memphis Tennessee under suspicion of Gibson importing illegal hardwoods.  Federal authorities confiscated over a million dollars in wood... or STOLE it, depending on who you ask.

This isn’t the first time, Gibson has been raided by Federal Authorities before this happened once in 2009… charges were never filed in that case, and it is still being haggled in the courts.

Gibson Guitar Chairman & CEO Henry Juszkiewicz believes that the recent Federal raids were illegal, and believes the wood is STOLEN. He had this to say in a press statement:

armed marshals stormed the company’s Nashville, Tenn., and Memphis, Tenn., manufacturing facilities on August 24, and proceeded to evacuate the buildings, shut down production, order all employees to go home, and steal more than a million dollars worth of rosewood and ebony that had been legally imported from India.

Juszkiewicz said at a recent press conference in regards to the importation of the hardwoods in question,

It is not illegal, it was exported legally, endorsed by the Indian government, it was Forest Stewardship Council recognized wood,” stated Juszkiewicz concerning the stolen wood. “We’re not in the wrong. We haven’t actually been charged with any wrongdoing. And yet our entire operation has effectively been noticed to be shut down.

Every “decent” guitar manufacturer imports Rosewood and Ebony woods from India, among other countries, and other companies don’t have nearly the standards of GIBSON! What’s more, according to the USDA’s “Lacey Act” of 2008, if you own a Gibson, and/or some other brands that use certain hardwood’s, and you sell it, you could be arrested.

Here is video of Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp. give his response to the raids in a press conference… it bothers me to think the American government could just may be shutting down one of the last true American Companies…

(It bothers me to think the American government could just may be shutting down one of the last true American Companies…one that has been adding American jobs I should add... shameful.!)