BUSTED! California Man Illegally Imported 2,000-Year-Old Mosaic of Hercules – Worth $450K!
A California man was sentenced to three months in prison for illegally importing a 2,000-year-old Roman mosaic from Syria. 🌐 #News #LosAngelesCA #California #Crime
LOS ANGELES, CA – A California man is heading to federal prison for smuggling an ancient Syrian mosaic that’s worth almost half a million dollars — but he tried to pass it off as cheap tiles.
Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi, 57, of Palmdale, was sentenced to three months behind bars Thursday after a jury nailed him last year for falsely classifying the 2,000-year-old artifact, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Back in August 2015, Alcharihi brought the massive Roman-era mosaic into the U.S. through the Port of Long Beach, claiming it was a pile of ceramic tiles from Turkey worth just $600.
The truth? It’s a priceless depiction of Hercules, the hero from Greek mythology, rescuing Prometheus, the Titan who gave fire to humans — and ticked off the gods in the process.
Alcharihi shelled out a mere $12,000 for the mosaic but clearly knew its true value. He even spent another $40,000 restoring the piece. But an appraisal expert for the feds says it’s actually worth a jaw-dropping $450,000.
This shady import came just months after the United Nations Security Council blasted groups like ISIS for looting and destroying Syria’s cultural treasures during the ongoing conflict.
Federal agents seized the 15-foot-long, 2,000-pound mosaic from Alcharihi’s garage in 2016. Since then, it’s been locked away at a secure facility in LA.
Last week, U.S. District Judge George W. Hu slapped Alcharihi with a three-month sentence and granted the government’s request to forfeit the mosaic.
Editor’s note: Photos used for illustrative purposes only and do not depict the actual subject.
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