A Colombian luxury handbag designer who pleaded guilty to smuggling wallets made from the skin of protected reptiles has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Nancy Gonzalez, who created the handbags carried by the Sex in the City actor and Britney Spears, was sentenced Monday in Miami federal court.
Gonzalez, 71, broke international treaties by illegally importing bags made from caimans and pythons.
Officials said she asked relatives to bring the purses and tote bags to the United States.
Colombia and the United States are signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which protects the crocodile-like caiman and python, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Trade in caimans and pythons is not prohibited, but is highly regulated under CITES regulations.
Mr. Gonzalez never obtained the import permits required by regulators.
Officials say that between February 2016 and April 2019, Gonzalez recruited friends, family and employees to transport the bags to the United States on a passenger airline, then send them to a showroom in New York.
The bag has been worn by celebrities Victoria Beckham and Salma Hayek, and was included in an exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2008, according to the Associated Press.
According to Women's Wear Daily (WWD), the bag was also sold at high-end stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Harrods.
“This investigation reveals that paid couriers smuggled undeclared handbags made from the skins of CITES-protected reptiles into the United States and sold them for thousands of dollars,” said Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A multi-year plan to do so has been revealed.”
“The Agency will continue to seek justice for protected species exploited for profit and will hold accountable those who seek to circumvent international regulations aimed at regulating sustainable trade,” he added. Ta.
Gonzalez was arrested in Cali, Colombia in 2022 and extradited to the United States to face charges.
“From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to the United States,” Gonzalez said in court, according to the Associated Press.
“I never intended to offend a country to which I owe a great debt of gratitude. Under pressure, I made the wrong decision.”
