Press Release
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Five In Connection With International Scheme To Fraudulently Import And Sell Filipino-Made Jewelry As Native American-Made
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., returned an indictment on Tuesday charging five individuals with violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA) by conspiring to import and fraudulently sell Filipino-made jewelry as Native American-made. This is the second indictment filed as the result of a continuing federal investigation that began in Jan. 2015 and is led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with the assistance of the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The investigation targeted an international scheme to violate the IACA and has included the execution of eight search and seizure warrants and investigative activity in New Mexico, California, Alaska, Kentucky, Nevada and the Philippines.
