On November 17th, 2009, the Gibson Guitars Massman Rd manufacturing facility was raided by Federal agents from the US Fish and Wildlife Service along with local law enforcement officers. The seized guitar, computers, wood, and boxes of files. It seems that Gibson is under investigation of being a part of a scheme to import endangered rosewood from Madagascar, thus violating the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act is a vital part of environmental law. The sale of Madagascar rosewood and ebony has also been linked to international criminal activity.

It seems from what I have heard so far, Gibson's role in the scheme is unclear, but it is thought that they were a part of a bigger plot which was having this endangered wood shipped to Germany, and then on to the United States. Most of the details as far as I can see are unclear and somewhat hazy.
No Charges have been brought against Gibson at this time, and a representative of Gibson stated that they were fully cooperating in the investigation. Being that Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz sits on the board of the Rainforest Alliance, the implications of this investigation could be far reaching.

As more information is made available, I will try to update this blog. I can only hope that this is a mistake, and that Gibson is able to clear their name. It would be a shame to see an icon of the guitar industry involved in such an act, especially given their ties to environmental groups.
For more details and to read more on this story, please see the NashvillePost.com article at http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/200 … son_guitars_raided_by_fbi

Gary Allen