Antiques dealer convicted of smuggling

A Nantucket man was convicted yesterday in federal court on seven felony counts related to smuggling and trafficking sperm whale teeth and narwhal tusks, according to the US Department of Justice. David L. Place, 57, owner of Manor House Antiques Cooperative in Nantucket, purchased and imported the tusks and teeth from 2001 to 2006 and conspired with contacts in Ukraine to illegally import the protected whale teeth, the Justice department said. Sperm whales are classified as endangered, and importing parts of sperm whale teeth requires permits and certifications, the Justice Department said.