"WASHINGTON -- Storied manufacturer Gibson Guitar Corp. will pay $350,000 and improve its import controls in exchange for the government deferring prosecution of environmental crimes, the Department of Justice announced Monday."

"The case involved allegations that Gibson, a marquee name for musicians everywhere, illegally imported protected hardwoods from Madagascar and India for use in its products. The Justice Department maintained Gibson was aware that it was purchasing illegally cut endangered woods from Madagascar’s protected national parks.

In fighting those charges, the company’s CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, became a celebrity in conservative and tea party circles. He took to Fox News and other outlets to accuse the government of overreach. His actions led to efforts, which eventually failed in Congress, to roll back parts of the Lacey Act, a wildlife protection law that dates back to 1900."

Kevin G. Hall reports for McClatchy Newspapers August 6, 2012. [2]