LA Chef Facing Prison Time For Selling Whale Meat
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(Newser) A California chef who got busted nearly three years ago on charges of selling illegal whale meat is facing a much more serious sentence than originally thought. Kiyoshiro Yamamoto could get 67 years in prison if convicted of smuggling and selling meat from endangered Sei whales at the now-defunct Hump restaurant in Santa Monica, reports LA Weekly.
A sign at the since-closed Hump Restaurant is seen in Santa Monica, Calif., in 2010. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
A fellow chef faces a 10-year sentence after yesterday’s indictment by a federal grand jury, and the restaurant’s parent company, Typhoon Restaurant, faces a $1.2 million fine. The arrests followed a sting operation run by one of the producers of the anti-whaling documentary The Cove. The chefs allegedly ordered the whale meat from a Japanese national, who smuggled it into the US by labeling it as fatty tuna. Authorities say the ruse worked for three years, from 2007 to 2010, reports the Los Angeles Times.
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Timmy Taylor
February 2, 2013 at 12:23 pm
These fucking Japs and their killing. Can’t someone stop them?
James Smith
February 2, 2013 at 5:24 pm
My guess is that this one is stopped.
Timmy Boi
February 3, 2013 at 2:06 am
Timmy Taylor,
You are nothing more than a racist chimp! Go back to your liberal plantation!
Bill Formby
February 3, 2013 at 12:05 pm
While you are correct that the racial slur was totally uncalled for it does seem that Japan is doing nothing to stop the illegal killing and harvesting of whales including those on the endangered species list.
James Smith
February 3, 2013 at 12:09 pm
You are correct about them doing nothing. They are, in fact, lying about needing to kill many whales for “scientific research” and actively resisting any and all efforts to induce them to even cut back on the slaughter.
Marsha Woerner
February 4, 2013 at 12:24 pm
While I find the killing and eating of horse meat very unsavory (apparently Burger King had some issues with that), the killing and eating of whale meat – particularly endangered whales – is totally unconscionable! I wish I knew how we could get Japan to see what the issue is and STOP!
James Smith
February 4, 2013 at 12:31 pm
I an confident that Japan does see the issue. They just don’t care.