And just like that, he can’t get out of this one.
A celebrity handbag designer whose expensive creations were featured on “Sex and the City” and coveted by A-listers such as Victoria Beckham was extradited to the US this week on conspiracy and smuggling charges related to the use of endangered species in her luxury purses.
Nancy Gonzalez, 78, signed extradition papers and was fingerprinted before being escorted by Interpol officers onto a private flight from Bogotá, Colombia, to Florida on Wednesday, Newsflash video shows.
The former fashionista — who sported snappy platform shoes and a chic black cape-style jacket — smiled for the cameras as she boarded the plane.
Gonzalez and his employees and co-defendants Diego Mauricio Rodriguez and Jhon Camilo Jaramillo were indicted in April 2022 by federal prosecutors in Florida on conspiracy and trafficking charges, according to court documents seen by The Post.
Nancy Gonzalez (center) was escorted to a private flight from Colombia to Florida on Wednesday. Colombian Migration Office/AFP via Getty Images
Gonzalez sells her animal skin bags to high-end department stores and celebrity clients.Penske Media via Getty Images
Gonzalez had his fingerprints taken before boarding an extradition flight with Interpol.Colombian Migration Office/AFP via Getty Images
Between 2016 and 2019, Gonzalez used donkeys to smuggle more than 200 python and caiman skin purses and handbags into the US without a permit, in violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the indictment alleges.
When questioned by customs agents about the paperwork for the bag, the donkey was instructed to say it was a gift for a relative, the indictment said.
Instead, however, the bags were allegedly displayed by Gonzalez’s company, Gzuniga Ltd., in showrooms in New York City, where they were peddled to department stores and well-heeled customers for more than $2,000 a pop, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District South Florida.
Kristin Davis carries a green Nancy Gonzalez bag in “Sex and the City 2” in 2010.WireImage
Kim Cattrall poses on the set of “Sex in the City: The Movie” with a yellow Nancy Gonzalez bag in 2007.Karl Larsen/INFphoto.com
Gonzalez allegedly used a donkey to smuggle the bag into the US. Tribune News Service via Getty Images
When Gonzalez is arrested in his hometown of Calí in July 2022she reportedly owns several python skin handbags and soccer balls made from caiman skin, according to Newsflash.
A joint investigation by Colombian police and European authorities also found that he illegally obtained the skins of endangered animals – including snakes and deer – with the intention of turning them into bags, the outlet said.
It’s unclear what species of python and caiman skin Gonzalez owns — and it’s impossible to determine just from photos, ecologists and biologists say.
“Of course, this is exactly the problem with this issue and why it is a major concern. Without inspection of each imported product by forensic experts, a lot illegal substances make it through,” Dr. Kurt Schwenk of the University of Connecticut told The Post on Friday night.
“Additionally, in Asia (and probably other places) there are pseudo-breeding facilities for reptiles that, in fact, collect them in the wild, take them to the back door, hold them for a while and then claim they are ‘captive-bred,’ sell them illegally . This practice destroys wild populations, in addition to habitat loss.”
The Indian python was listed as endangered in 1976, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Kris Jenner previously talked about the Nancy Gonzalez bag on her Instagram.Instagram / @krisjenner
The US banned its importation in 2012, among other types of pythons, including the yellow anaconda, the Burmese python, the South African python and the African python, according to CITES. The Indian government banned its export for commercial purposes in March 2018, the organization said.
It is not known how many are left in the world.
The white/spectacled and caiman were also put on the endangered list in 1976, according to the US FWS. In There are an estimated 1 million living in the world in 2016, reports the Red List.
However, the 2023 CITES report lists the animal in Appendix I, which is “the most endangered of the animals listed by CITES.”
Gonzalez is accused of smuggling bags made from the skins of endangered species into the US.Instagram / @nancygonzalezofficial
It is not known how many spectacled caimans are estimated to remain. The New York Post has reached out to CITES for comment.
The broad-nosed caiman, meanwhile, was listed as endangered in Argentina and endangered in other countries in 1976. In 2006, Argentina placed an export quota on the reptile, only allowing them to be exported if it was from a “farming operation,” CITES said. then.
As of 2019, the Red List estimates there are 500,000 left, CITES lists the species as endangered. Their current number is unknown.
Gonzalez has been remanded in custody at the jail since his arrest.
The US begins the extradition process in August 2022.
Victoria Beckham carries a Nancy Gonzalez bag out of Nobu in December 2008.FilmMagic
Before his legal troubles, Gonzalez’s designs were favored by high-profile buyers such as Victoria Beckham and Kris Jenner, the Australian Broadcasting Company reported.
The septuagenarian also made headlines when some of his signature handbags appeared in “Sex and the City 2.”
If convicted on all charges, Gonzalez faces up to 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
