GEM CEO Bhandari sentenced to 7 months, fined $1.14 million for importing black coral
Published: February 8, 2013
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ST. THOMAS - A St. Thomas business executive was sentenced on Thursday to spend a month in federal prison and pay a seven-figure penalty for his role in illegally importing black coral to the territory.
Ashu Bhandari, the 51-year-old former president and CEO of GEM Manufacturing, pleaded guilty in November to a felony count of false classification of goods in a scheme to conceal the illegal import of black coral for use in "high-end jewelry and sculpture products" sold by GEM Manufacturing, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
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