In a significant legal development, Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi, the founder of luxury handbag company Gzuniga, has been handed an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to smuggling purses crafted from the skins of protected reptiles. The verdict, issued on Monday, underscores the severity of illegal wildlife trafficking, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Accompanying Gonzalez in the sentencing is Mauricio Giraldo, an associate, who also received a prison term. Both individuals, Colombian citizens, were extradited to the United States to face charges related to the illicit importation of merchandise from Colombia, constructed from protected wildlife.
The confiscated handbags and other seized products will be forfeited, with Gzuniga banned from engaging in commercial wildlife trade activities for three years. Gonzalez has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, coupled with three years of supervised release and a special assessment. Giraldo, on the other hand, received a term based on time served, along with supervised release and a special assessment.
Another collaborator, John Camilo Aguilar Jaramillo, awaits sentencing on June 27 after pleading guilty earlier this month. The trio’s activities violated the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a pact signed by both the United States and Colombia, which strictly regulates the trade in caimans and pythons.
The intricate smuggling operation involved enlisting various individuals, including friends, relatives, and employees of Gonzalez’s manufacturing company in Colombia, to transport the designer handbags into the United States via passenger airlines. Once in the country, the merchandise was directed to the Gzuniga showroom in New York for display and sale.
Commenting on the case, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim emphasized the U.S.’s commitment to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and acknowledged the collaborative efforts of federal and international partners in the investigation and prosecution process.
Prosecutors stressed that economic motives do not justify circumventing wildlife trafficking laws, underscoring the importance of strict compliance with regulations aimed at protecting endangered species. The indictment charged the defendants with conspiracy and smuggling offenses spanning from February 2016 to April 2019.
In response, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe reiterated the imperative of upholding laws safeguarding endangered species and emphasized the collaborative efforts required to disrupt illegal wildlife trade networks.
Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of robust collaboration in combating wildlife trafficking and reaffirming the agency’s commitment to pursuing justice for exploited species.
