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Procurement and Use of Animal Trophies
WVI incurred expenditures for travel, food, lodging, and
professional guide fees in connection with the procurement of a
world-class animal trophy collection (as well as taxidermy
expenses) as follows:
Year Expenditures
1989 $130,376
1990 124,803
1991 242,498
1992 74,696
Under Dr. Gow’s direction, Deborah Lee (Ms. Lee), WVI’s controller
and accountant, recorded these costs in the company’s general
ledger as an “expense” rather than in an asset account.
The animal trophy collection was to be used purportedly as a
marketing strategy for the time-share project; namely, (1) as an
amenity at Powhatan Plantation, and (2) as a traveling display to
generate time-share leads at State and regional chapter meetings of
the Safari Club and the National Rifle Association.
In order to acquire a world-class animal trophy collection,
Mr. Gow hunted the animals in their natural habitat, mostly at the
Y.O. Ranch. (Y.O. Ranch is a 500,000-acre tract of property
located in Texas that housed over 60 species of imported African
plains wildlife.) Mr. Gow also traveled to Alaska and other
locations within the United States in search of exotic game such as
moose, Armenian red sheep, sable, kudu, caribou, and elk. Mr. Gow
employed hunting guides on these trips and usually took Dr. Gow
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