http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579684,00.html?test=latestnews SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. Federal agents have seized a rare Italian sports car they believe was illegally imported by a California man and his co-conspirators. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials alleged Monday that automotive engineer Claudio Zampolli, the creator of the 1994 Cizeta, brought it into the country in 2001 for maintenance and repairs. It is one of fewer than a dozen produced and sold for about $600,000. It was supposed to be exported within a year. The government said the vehicle's stay in the country violates customs rules. They said it is illegal to sell the car because it does not meet U.S. environmental and safety standards. A call to Zampolli's attorney was not immediately returned.
8 years later and they're just getting around to this now? Sounds like someone ratted him out. That'd cost a few bucks to get sorted out. Good luck with it Claudio.
I don't get what the problem is. Just tell the feds it is an art deco cheese grater, and they will leave you alone.
Lame that they would do that to him, but nothing surprises me anymore. Good luck is right to Claudio.
Here is another article : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/rare-cizeta-v16-sports-car-worth-700000-seized-by-federal-agents-in-orange-county.html
Did anyone else notice that it doesn't even have US plates? It's not even registered for running on the roads. It's a museum piece for god's sake. What's the big deal? It's some kind of gross poluter to California?
May not have US plate but it sure has CA Dealers plate. I agree, about being a museum piece and should be legal to be driven to and from a car show. Here's a couple of pics from the "Best of France and Italy Car Show" last Nov. 1st. It sure is one heck of an art. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I would definitely ask to get that dealer plate picture taken off F-chat. All your doing is adding fuel to the fire. Trust me, the FED's will find it. That exactly what they want to see.
Hold on to your wallets folks the feds/cali is knocking on your door next. They may not get you for an imported car but they will get you for some nickels and dimes to redistribute your wealth to those who don't want to work.
So what happens now with the car? Obviously the state now has it- and rightfully so.... Claudio has a business and is trying to bring in more customers so he can make more money, help others and pay his taxes, so why shouldn't the state steal from him? Do you think the car will be auctioned? Or even worse crushed? I remember hearing something around the time of the release of the EB110 and the Porsche 959, that if you were driving them they would be crushed. I wonder what will happen
Anyone with anything is a target, I mean, someone's gotta pay Bechtel to build that meaningless railroad from Victorville to Vegas!
They may cut him some slack and make him send it back. If he can't do that then they'd probably dispose of it. I'm sure some wealthy European could help him out if it becomes too troublesome for him?
Look it cost the tax payers AKA" We the people: more money to pay these ICE detectives than there worth. They say the car is not safe and its putting tons of smog in the air as it sits in the showroom. LOL! Ive done some adding and a Toyota Prius puts out 10,000 times more smog each year in the Calif air than any Supercar because we do not drive them everyday! Also why were there so many News reporters there I think this guy at ICE is just trying to make a name for himself.
"Make no mistake, the illegal importation of gray market vehicles like this is not just a technical violation," stated Miguel Unzueta, special agent in charge for the ICE Office of Investigations in Los Angeles. "Cars that don't meet U.S. standards are outlawed for a reason. These vehicles can pose a real threat to public health and safety." http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/city-news/700k-******mobile-seized-by-us/ Sounds like the Feds were doing a little grand standing. "real threat to public health and safety" Paaaleeeze. Your tax money working hard for you
There are many ways he could have declared the car when he imported it and that is one. Had he chosen to do so it would not be a problem now but he chose to lie. He is now paying for that mistake.
Not really unusual for it to take that long to catch up on. The wheels of government turn exceedingly slow but they grind exceedingly fine.
While we're at it here's another Fed raid that demonstrates our police state. Not here but you get the drift. Federal agents raid Gibson guitar plant NASHVILLE Federal agents on Tuesday raided a Gibson guitar manufacturing plant and seized guitars amid concerns about where the Nashville-based company obtains the fine woods that go into its instruments. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/nov/17/federal-agents-raid-gibson-guitar-plant/