Articles and News
Scottsdale Resident Accused of Illicit Diamond Smuggling in Florida May 08, 2023 (0 comments)
Miami, FL--Guilherme Cipriani, a 41-year-old resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, is facing charges in South Florida for illegally smuggling diamonds into the U.S.
[Photo by Sora Shimazaki]
According to a report by the Associated Press, court records indicate that Cipriani was arrested in Arizona on Wednesday and made his initial court appearance there. He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 24 in Miami, where a federal grand jury indicted him in March.
The charges include smuggling diamonds into the country and providing false statements to a federal agency. According to the AP report, Cipriani could face a prison sentence of up to 25 years if found guilty.
The indictment states that on November 10, Cipriani attempted to bring 14 loose-cut and 53 uncut rough diamonds into the U.S. via Miami International Airport. However, officials have not provided an estimated value for the smuggled diamonds.
Per the report, prosecutors claim that Cipriani lied to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent at the airport, asserting he was not carrying commercial merchandise into the country and had not spent any money on commercial goods while abroad.
The indictment does not reveal the source of the diamonds or the country Cipriani was traveling from.
Learn more in this news report on AP.