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Federal warrant served at Lumber Liquidators headquarters in Toano

Posted at 4:04 PM, Sep 26, 2013
and last updated 2013-09-27 15:43:57-04

Toano, Va. (WTKR)- Federal agents executed a search warrant at the Toano headquarters of Lumber Liquidators on Thursday morning.

A second Lumber Liquidators location on West Broad Street in Henrico near Richmond was also searched.

Brandon Montgomery, a spokesman for Homeland Security Investigations, says because the search warrant was sealed, he couldn't comment on what agents were looking for at the Toano location.

Montgomery said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations was the lead agency on the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Justice.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Norfolk was also involved, according to Montgomery.

At the Toano headquarters Thursday, business appeared to be continuing as usual with customers and employees freely coming and going after being checked at the entrance by a Lumber Liquidators employee.

A representative from the company referred NewsChannel 3's questions to a firm based out of Minneapolis which issued the following statement Thursday afternoon:

“We are cooperating to provide information and documentation to answer the questions being asked relating to the importation of certain products.”

They also issued another statement on their website:
"Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL), the largest specialty retailer of hardwood flooring in North America, today commented on actions taken by Federal authorities, which relate to the importation of certain of the Company's wood flooring products. Yesterday, sealed search warrants were executed at the Company's corporate offices in Toano and Richmond, Virginia by the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Company takes its sourcing and compliance very seriously, and is cooperating with authorities to provide them with requested information."

Stay with NewsChannel 3 for the latest on this developing story.