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Madison, WI--A Florida man has been sentenced to three years of probation and fined $25,000 for falsely marketing imported jewelry as authentic Native American handicrafts. Jose Farinango Muenala, 47, of Casselberry, Fla., pleaded guilty on Jan. 28, to charges of misrepresenting Indian produced goods.

[Image via iStock.com/deepblue4you]

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, Farinango Muenala operated under the business name Southwest Expressions. An investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) revealed that since 2012, he had attended dozens of art shows across the country, including the 2023 Loon Day Festival in Mercer, Wis.

Prosecutors stated that Farinango Muenala falsely identified himself as a Pueblo or Native American from New Mexico and claimed his merchandise was handmade by himself or other Pueblo artisans. In reality, the jewelry was mass-produced and imported from the Philippines. Between 2012 and 2023, his business recorded 40,905 individual sales, grossing more than $2.68 million.

“The defendant in this case falsely claimed to be a third-generation jewelry maker from the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico while he sold imported Philippines jewelry as authentic Indian made across several states,” said IACB Director Meridith Stanton, as per the release.

U.S. District Judge William M. Conley sentenced Farinango Muenala following his guilty plea, emphasizing the intentional nature of the fraud and the statute’s purpose in protecting Native American cultural heritage and economic livelihoods.

Read more in this press release.