A Palmdale man has been handed a three-month federal prison sentence for the illegal importation of an ancient Roman mosaic of significant historical value. Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi, 57, was convicted of one count of entry of falsely classified goods after a jury trial that concluded in June 2023, as per a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Alcharihi imported the 2,000-pound artifact, displaying Hercules rescuing Prometheus, through the Port of Long Beach in August 2015. Records show the piece arrived amid a shipment from Turkey, wrongly classified to mask the mosaic's true value and origin. Instead of announcing its $12,000 price and Syrian heritage, Alcharihi, informed his customs broker the cargo contained ceramic tiles from Turkey valued under $600, a far cry from the $450,000 appraisal by the government’s experts.
U.S. District Judge George W. Hu issued the sentence and also approved a preliminary order of forfeiture, ensuring that the mosaic could be seized. The precious artwork, which is about 15 feet long and 8 feet tall, dates back to the Roman Empire and has been stored securely in Los Angeles since being seized from Alcharihi's residence in March 2016.
The Department of Justice outlined that the smuggling effort took place shortly after the UN Security Council condemned the destruction of Syrian cultural heritage by groups like ISIL and Al-Nusrah Front. The FBI’s Art Crime Team, along with Homeland Security Investigations carried out the inquiry, leading to Alcharihi's arrest and, ultimately convicting him for his crime.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Williams and Matthew W. O’Brien of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, and Justice Department Trial Attorney Christian A. Levesque of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section prosecuted the case. This sentencing underscores the ongoing battle against the trafficking of cultural property and the importance of preserving world heritage artifacts.
