Celebrity handbag designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags

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3. More details

Prosecutors accused the designer of carrying and having couriers carry handbags from Colombia to the U.S. without first obtaining the import authorizations needed to trade in endangered and threatened wildlife species.

The types of skins Gonzalez was accused of smuggling, python and a breed of crocodile called caiman, are protected by the rules of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which Gonzalez did not follow when importing the leather according to the Department of Justice.

Prosecutors estimated that Gonzalez smuggled merchandise using dozens of couriers before she was arrested in Colombia and extradited to the U.S., the AP reported (her handbags had an average retail value of more than $2,000 each, according to the DOJ).

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/04/22/designer-who-made-handbags-for-britney-spears-gets-18-months-for-smuggling-python-crocodile-leather-report-says/?sh=5930c5946fc0