Page 7 - Aruba Today

U.S. NEWS A7
Friday 30 October 2015

Feds: 3 arrested for selling
fake American Indian jewelry

RUSSELL CONTRERAS made in the Philippines in Manasra described him- U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez, left, and Indian Arts and Crafts
Associated Press violation of the federal In- self as a wholesaler of Na- Board chairman Harvey Pratt take questions about a long
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — dian Arts and Crafts Act. tive American jewelry and federal investigation into the selling of fake American Indian
Three New Mexico residents That law prohibits the sale supplied Ali with the fake jewelry during a news conference in Albuquerque, N.M. on
face federal charges in a of any jewelry or piece of jewelry from the Philippines, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015.
scam to sell Filipino-made art that falsely claims it was the indictment said.
jewelry as being made by produced by American In- If convicted, all three face Associated Press
American Indians, U.S. At- dians. up to five years in prison
torney Damon Martinez an- The indictment gave little and a $250,000 fine each. American Indians is a pre- in the Philippines as part
nounced Thursday. detail on how the scheme Phone messages left by cious national resource, of the international investi-
The three individuals were allegedly worked. But court The Associated Press to and it is critically important gation.Sam English, an en-
recently arrested following documents say Ali owned numbers listed for Gallery that we provide the proper rolled member of the Turtle
a long investigation and two jewelry stores in Al- 8 and Galleria Azul were respect to those whose cre- Mountain Chippewa Indi-
a raid of jewelry stores in buquerque’s Old Town — not immediately returned. ations are seen by some as ans from North Dakota and
Albuquerque and Gallup, Gallery 8 and Galleria Azul A caller who answered simple retail commodities an Albuquerque resident,
New Mexico, along with — and another American a Coachella, California, to be exploited for profit,” said he was glad federal
Calistoga, California, Mar- Indian-style shop in Scotts- phone listing for Manasra Martinez said. authorities were aggres-
tinez said at a news con- dale, Arizona. refused to answer ques- Martinez said Filipino au- sively going after those
ference announcing the Bowen worked at Ali’s Al- tions and hung up on a re- thorities also conducted who violate Indian Arts and
charges. buquerque stores and con- porter. interviews at two factories Crafts Act.q
According to the indict- spired to sell the purported It was unclear if any of the
ment unsealed Thursday, American Indian jewelry three charged had attor-
Nael Ali, 51, and Moham- and, in at least in one case, neys.
mad Abed Manasra, 53, sold to an undercover Martinez said the arrests
both of Albuquerque, agent two rings for nearly were about protecting and
and Christina Bowen, 41, $700 that were falsely ad- preserving the cultural heri-
of Los Lunas, all took part vertised to be made by a tage of Native Americans
in a scheme to sell Na- Navajo artists, court docu- and their art.
tive American-style jewelry ments said. “The cultural heritage of