{"id":53402,"date":"2023-06-21T15:34:39","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T22:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=53402"},"modified":"2023-06-21T15:34:39","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T22:34:39","slug":"california-man-guilty-of-illegally-importing-ancient-roman-mosaic-from-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=53402","title":{"rendered":"California Man Guilty of Illegally Importing Ancient Roman Mosaic from Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0LOS ANGELES\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"An Antelope Valley man was found guilty by a jury Wednesday of illegally importing an ancient floor mosaic depicting the Roman demigod Hercules that is believed to have been made nearly two millennia ago, officials stated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi, 56, of Palmdale, was found guilty of one count of entry of falsely classified goods.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0According to evidence presented at a 4\u00bd-day trial, Alcharihi in August 2015 illegally imported the mosaic \u2013 which dates from the era of the Roman Empire \u2013 by means of a false classification as to its value and quality. <\/span><\/p>\n

The mosaic arrived at Alcharihi\u2019s direction at the Port of Long Beach as part of a shipment from Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 According to authorities, the mosaic depicts a story from ancient Greek and Roman mythology depicting Hercules rescuing Prometheus, who had been chained to a rock by his fellow gods for stealing fire for humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alcharihi purchased the mosaic in 2015. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Instead of disclosing to United States customs officials that he was importing a Syrian antiquity for which he had paid approximately $12,000 and that he knew was worth much more, Alcharihi lied to his customs broker and caused it to falsely declare that he was importing ceramic tiles from Turkey valued at less than $600. <\/span><\/p>\n

Alcharihi paid $40,000 to restore the mosaic, and the government\u2019s appraisal expert valued the mosaic at $450,000.<\/span><\/p>\n

The false classifications occurred months after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the destruction of cultural heritage in Syria, particularly by the terrorist organization’s Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Nusrah Front.<\/span><\/p>\n

The mosaic was placed inside a large metal shipping container holding many vases and two other mosaics. <\/span><\/p>\n

An x-ray image of the container taken by CBP showed that the mosaic was hidden behind a pile of vases in the front of the container \u2013 away from the rear access doors. After passing through customs, the mosaic was shipped via truck to Alcharihi\u2019s home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \"\"The mosaic is 15 feet long, 8 feet tall, and weighs approximately 2,000 pounds.\u00a0 It has been stored at a secure facility in Los Angeles since federal agents seized it from Alcharihi\u2019s garage in March 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U.S. District Judge George H. Wu scheduled an August 31 sentencing hearing.\u00a0 Alcharihi faces up to two years in federal prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

The FBI\u2019s Art Crime Team and Homeland Security Investigations \u2013 Los Angeles, Ventura Division investigated this matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Williams, Chief of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section; Assistant United States Attorney Matthew W. O\u2019Brien, also of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section; Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell Coll of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section; and Justice Department Trial Attorney Christian A. Levesque of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting this case.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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