New Mexico couple pleads guilty to smuggling counterfeit Native American jewelry

A New Mexico husband and wife pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to smuggling counterfeit Native American-style jewelry from Vietnam and selling it across the United States as authentic, federal prosecutors announced.

Kiem Thanh Huynh, 60, and My Ngoc Truong, 61, entered guilty pleas to misrepresentation of Indian goods exceeding $1,000 under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, as well as smuggling, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said the scheme harmed both consumers and Native American communities. “Those who profit by passing off counterfeit goods as authentic Native American items are not just deceiving buyers, they are exploiting culture and taking income from Native American artists and their communities,” Ferguson said in a statement.

The case was investigated with assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, which enforces the law designed to protect Native artists and their work.

According to court documents, Huynh and Truong co-owned MT Jewelry MFG., Inc. in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a wholesale business that advertised “handmade southwestern jewelry.” Prosecutors said the couple traveled to trade shows nationwide, including events in Western North Carolina, where they marketed their products as authentic Native American-made items.

However, investigators found that much of the jewelry was manufactured in Vietnam. Between December 2023 and July 2024, authorities intercepted six shipments destined for the business containing pendants, bracelets, and rings designed to mimic Native American craftsmanship. The items bore markings commonly used by Native artists but lacked required country-of-origin labels.

In their plea, Huynh and Truong admitted they knowingly sold the imported goods as genuine Native American jewelry, falsely claiming the pieces were produced by Navajo artisans in their Albuquerque workshop.

Meridith Stanton, director of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, said the illegal activity undermines both cultural heritage and economic stability for Native communities. “Authentic Indian art and craftwork is a critically important tool for passing down traditions and skills from one generation to the next,” Stanton said.

The defendants remain free pending sentencing. They face up to five years in prison for violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act and up to 20 years for smuggling. They have also agreed to forfeit nearly $342,000 in proceeds tied to the scheme.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott is prosecuting the case.