Nancy Gonzalez, a Colombian luxury handbag designer has been sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment for smuggling purses made of the skins of protected reptiles. Nancy who had made handbags carried by Sex and the City actors and Britney Spears, has been sentenced on Monday, in a Miami federal court.
At 71 years old, Gonzalez violated an international treaty by unlawfully importing handbags made from caimans and pythons. Authorities allege that she engaged relatives to assist in bringing these bags into the US.
Both Colombia and the US are parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which offers protection to caimans and pythons.
According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, the trade in caimans and pythons is subject to strict regulation under CITES rules, although not outright prohibited. She failed to obtain the necessary import permits mandated by regulators.
From February 2016 to April 2019, authorities claim that Gonzalez enlisted acquaintances, relatives, and employees to transport bags on passenger airlines to the US, subsequently sending them to her New York showroom. The bags gained visibility when worn by celebrities Victoria Beckham and Salma Hayek, as reported by the Associated Press.
“This investigation uncovered a multi-year scheme that involved paid couriers smuggling undeclared handbags made of CITES-protected reptile skins into the US to be sold for thousands of dollars,” said Edward Grace of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The Service will continue to seek justice for protected species exploited for profit, and we will hold accountable those who seek to circumvent international controls meant to regulate their sustainable trade,” he added.
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