Fashion designer Nancy Gonzalez Pleads Accountable to Smuggling and Conspiracy – WWD

Accessories dressmaker Nancy Gonzalez plead accountable Friday to federal fees for the illegally uploading of python and caiman skins to the U.S. from Colombia.

Next being indicted by means of the U.S. Area of Justice for fees of unlawful smuggling and conspiracy, Gonzalez, who’s a Colombian citizen, was once extradited previous this yr to the U.S. from Colombia in a joint aim between U.S. and Colombian government.

Gzuniga Ltd., the Colombia-based industry that Gonzalez began, was once additionally named within the indictment, as have been two alternative people. Her criminal staff entered a accountable plea for Gzuniga for one rely of conspiracy and two counts of smuggling for repeated unlawful importation of dressmaker purses constituted of caiman and python pores and skin from February 2016 to April 2019.

In adherence with the Conference on World Offer Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Vegetation (CITES), to which each the U.S. and Colombia are signatories, python and caiman pores and skin are safe.

The dressmaker’s unique pores and skin purses have attracted a celeb clientele together with high-profile taste setters like Victoria Beckham. As an indication of her label’s status, it was once discussed within the 2006 American movie “The Devil Wears Prada,” when Anne Hathaway’s laborer persona gained a significant style overhaul, and Gonzalez’ signature purses have been additionally featured within the 2010 movie “Sex And The City 2.” Gonzalez’ designs have been at one moment a key useful resource in 300 luxurious shops together with Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Road, Lane Crawford, Harrods and Tsum.

Established in 1998 by means of Gonzalez, a mom of 2, the corporate’s first assortment — 8 types — debuted at Bergdorf Goodman. Her corporate’s web site claimed that the baggage have been sourced from native artisans in her place of birth of Cali, Colombia, and that almost each and every member of her all-female staff have been supplied with age handle their youngsters.

Her son Santiago Barberi Gonzalez, who died in 2017 at past 40, co-founded the corporate and served as president and eminent government officer. The luxurious accessories label specialised in colourful coloured types and ventured into collaborations with some top-notch artists together with KAWS, Will Wool, Jenny Holzer, Dr. Lakra and Jim Hodges.

Gonzalez’ legal professional Sam Rabin of Rabin & Lopez stated Monday that Gonzalez had pleaded accountable “directly to her judge rather than negotiate with prosecutors. She did this because she has faith in our courts but not in the Department of Justice and its prosecutors who have treated her most unfairly. They took the equivalent of an elephant gun to a mosquito when a fly swatter would have sufficed.”

Rabin additionally claimed that the movements that have been taken by means of the federal government led to Gonzalez “being unnecessarily incarcerated in Colombia with drug dealers and terrorists for more than one year while awaiting extradition to the United States, being put out of business and her hundreds of employees becoming unemployed.”

Rabin claimed by way of electronic mail, “Her crime was not obtaining the proper paperwork for some samples so she could meet deadlines to get her goods to buyer’s shows. All of the purses that were sold in retail stores were properly documented. Less than 1 percent of her purses were imported without documentation. None of the animal skins used in her products came from animals taken in the wild. The skins came from farm-raised animals to ensure that they did not impact the population of animals in the wild.”

Gonzalez and the alternative defendants entered their accountable pleas Friday within the U.S. District Court docket within the Southern District of Florida. They’ll be due again in court docket for sentencing on Feb. 5. The 70-year-old dressmaker is doubtlessly dealing with as much as 5 years in jail at the conspiracy rate and as much as twenty years in jail on every of the smuggling fees, which may well be adopted by means of a time period of supervised leave.

Gonzalez could also be dealing with possible fines of as much as $250,000 on every rely, or two times the supposed acquire from the related habits, whichever is bigger. As well as, Gzuniga faces possible fines of $500,000 on every of the 3 counts of conviction, or two times the supposed acquire from the related habits, whichever is bigger.

Gonzalez and the alternative defendants allegedly solicited pals, family, and workers of her production corporate in Colombia to behave as couriers and delivery the dressmaker purses by means of wearing them or of their baggage year touring on industrial airways. Next arriving Stateside, the dressmaker purses have been allegedly delivered or shipped to the Gzuniga showroom in Big apple, the place high-end outlets may acquire them to promote them of their respective shops. Federal prosecutors have claimed that habits concerned “hundreds” of Nancy Gonzalez handbags, purses and totes with a mean retail worth of greater than $2,000. 

An alternative defendant within the case was once additionally extradited from Colombia and is looking forward to trial. A fourth defendant isn’t recently in custody.

In July 2022, a dramatic, music-scored video tweeted by means of Colombia’s legal professional common previous confirmed Gonzalez being escorted by means of government from a luxurious enclave in Cali. The legal professional common’s administrative center stated that the challenge was once the primary of its sort in Latin The usa to offer with unique pores and skin equipment.

Friday’s accountable pleas have been observable by means of U.S. legal professional Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, the laborer legal professional common Todd Kim of the Justice Area’s Shape and Herbal Sources Section, and particular agent in rate Stephen Clark for the U.S. Fish & Flora and fauna Provider administrative center of regulation enforcement, Southeast patch.

In the meantime, customers can to find Nancy Gonzalez purses on resale websites like Poshmark, The RealReal and Fashionphile, amongst others — many with discounted costs.