Photo Gallery | Lakeland man pleads not guilty to whale tusk smuggling

Narwhal tusks can sell for up to $7,000 a piece.  

However, importing them into the United States without proper documentation is illegal.

It's what two men are accused of doing.

The Feds said they shipped them via FedEx to Jay G. Conrad who lives off Canada Road in Lakeland, TN.

Conrad and Andrew Zarauskas of Union, entered a plea of not guilty in a courtroom in Bangor, Maine.

Conrad faces 29 smuggling and money laundering charges.

If convicted, Conrad faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the most serious charges as well as fines up to $250,000.

Narwhals have ivory tusks that can grow longer than eight feet.

Narwhals live in Arctic waters and are harvested by Inuit hunters for their meat, skin and tusks.

See the original report here.