Current:Home > MyPoinbank Exchange|Ancient mosaic of Hercules nets man prison term for illegal import from Syria -Mastery Money Tools
Poinbank Exchange|Ancient mosaic of Hercules nets man prison term for illegal import from Syria
PredictIQ View
Date:2025-04-11 03:33:18
A California man was sentenced to prison for illegally importing a 2,Poinbank Exchange000-pound Syrian mosaic of the Roman demigod Hercules, a historic work of art dating back to the Roman Empire, federal prosecutors said this week.
Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi is heading to prison for a three-month sentence after U.S. District Court Judge George W. Hu sentenced him Thursday for lying to customs about the mosaic, the Justice Department said. The 15-foot long, 8-foot wide antiquity was seized by federal authorities from Alcharihi's garage and will be repatriated to Syria.
The mosaic depicts the story of Hercules rescuing Prometheus, who was chained to a rock by his gods for stealing fire for humanity. The department said Alcharihi bought the mosaic in 2015 for about $12,000 and lied to U.S. Customs and Border Protection about its value and origins.
"In August 2015, Alcharihi illegally imported the mosaic – which dates from the era of the Roman Empire – by means of a false classification as to its value and quality," according to the department's statement. "The mosaic arrived at Alcharihi’s direction at the Port of Long Beach as part of a shipment from Turkey."
The case isn't the first of looted art discovered in the U.S. In March, a Massachusetts family found art looted from Japan dating back to World War II in their attic. In September 2023, the New York family of a late billionaire voluntarily agreed to return 33 artifacts to Cambodia. The FBI maintains the National Stolen Art File, an online database of stolen art, cultural items and ancient artifacts.
The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution in 2014 condemning the destruction of Syria's World Heritage Sites by terrorist groups. The group has passed resolutions since then condemning the destruction and smuggling of cultural and religious sites and property.
A jury found Alcharihi guilty on June 21, 2023, of entry of goods falsely classified, after a five-day trial. according to court records. Hu also granted the government's request Thursday to seize the mosaic, the department said.
The department said Alcharihi paid about $40,000 to restore the mosaic and its current-day value is at $450,000. The 1-ton mosaic is being stored at an undisclosed facility in Los Angeles awaiting its return to Syria, according to court papers.
"Defendant conspired to smuggle, and did smuggle, a highly valuable Roman mosaic into the United States. He has never expressed any remorse or acknowledged any wrongdoing," U.S. attorneys said in a sentencing recommendation, according to court documents.
Man lied about mosaic to broker, prosecutors say
According to a May 2018 complaint for forfeiture, U.S. attorneys said Alcharihi lied to a third-party broker about the value of the mosaic and had it shipped to the U.S. with 81 vases and three mosaic items. A man from Turkey sent Alcharihi an invoice of $2,199.23 for the items and $2,900 for shipping, according to court records.
The broker told the FBI and Homeland Security Investigators the items were declared as "ornamental art" and "ceramic, unglazed tiles" with a total value of $2,199. Federal agents later learned about the $40,000 restoration in interviews with two unnamed people, and one acknowledged the mosaic was about 2,000 years old.
Alcharihi said "that the mosaic was peeled off a floor 25 years ago and that it had taken him 10 years to get the mosaic out of Turkey because the laws had changed there," according to court documents. He also said the mosaic had been "rolled up" for 25 years.
An expert told law enforcement that looted cultural items from Syria have been routed through Turkey since about 2012 and that the one Alcharihi received was a rare piece.
Federal agents interviewed Alcharihi in March 2016, and he admitted purchasing 80 vases that broke upon arrival to the U.S., two mosaics, the looted Roman Empire art and a smaller unknown one for $12,000, court papers said. He reported the total value as $2,400 in an attempt to pay less in duties, federal prosecutors said.
He later stated in an email to an unnamed person that the mosaic came from land and a building his family owned for generations and imported it legally into the U.S., according to court documents.
Alcharihi's wife, family, friends and fellow worshippers at a nearby mosque submitted letters to the court in August, requesting that he not be given jail time for the smuggling. His wife, Asmaa Addi, said that Alcharihi is devoted to his family and has helped civilians in Syria protect themselves from chemical warfare and that imprisonment would put a strain on his family and adolescent children. That was directly disputed by U.S. attorneys in a separate court filing.
"The problem is that defendant’s otherwise commendable life story has a deep stain: defendant’s years-long scheme to con the United States and get rich by selling a smuggled antiquity," U.S. attorneys said in an Aug. 19 court filing. "Again, defendant’s conduct after he was caught in March 2016 merits scrutiny: for years, he continued to lie about the Mosaic and then engaged in witness tampering. That is not the American dream."
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter,@KrystalRNurse.
veryGood! (79)
Related
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- How Hotel Collection Candles Can Bring the Five-Star Experience to You
- MLB trade deadline live updates: All the deals and moves that went down on Tuesday
- Watch the 5 best goals of World Cup group play. Does Lindsey Horan's header top the list?
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Police officer holds innocent family at gunpoint after making typo while running plates
- Lawsuit by former dancers accuses Lizzo of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment
- Fitch downgrades U.S. credit rating. How could it impact the economy and you?
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 right now and save up to $300 via trade-in
Ranking
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- California firm to pay $1 million for selling devices to thwart diesel truck smog controls
- Jury resumes deliberations over death penalty or life in prison for Pittsburgh synagogue shooter
- Adrift diver 6 miles offshore from the Florida Keys rescued by off-duty officers
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- 'Barbie' studio apologizes for 'insensitive' response to 'Barbenheimer' atomic bomb meme
- Video shows bear trying to escape California heat by chilling in a backyard jacuzzi
- The hottest July: Inside Phoenix's brutal 31 days of 110-degree heat
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
Quran burned at 3rd small Sweden protest after warning that desecrating Islam's holy book brings terror risk
'This Fool' is an odd-couple comedy with L.A. flair
Body recovered from New York City creek identified as Goldman Sachs analyst
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
Trump allies charged with felonies involving voting machines
First time playing the Mega Millions? Here's exactly how to ask the cashier for a ticket.
Driver accused of gross negligence in crash that killed actor Treat Williams