Fashion designer Nancy Gonzalez, 71, known for her celebrity-endorsed accessories, received a sentence of 18 months in prison after admitting to smuggling crocodile handbags into the U.S. from Colombia.
The sentencing took place in a Miami federal court where Gonzalez faced charges stemming from her orchestrating a complex smuggling operation that violated U.S. wildlife laws.
Gonzalez, who was arrested in 2022 in Cali, Colombia, and later extradited to the U.S., was accused of setting up a network that involved using couriers to transport her luxury handbags on flights to exclusive showrooms and major events in New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald said that Gonzalez’s operation was driven by money and likened her to a drug kingpin.
Gonzalez’s defense attorneys argued for leniency and pointed out her background as a divorced single mother who rose from making belts on a sewing machine to competing with luxury giants like and Prada.
They portrayed her as a pioneering entrepreneur in Colombia’s fashion industry, whose company, which primarily employed women, went bankrupt and ceased operations following her arrest.
During the sentencing, Gonzalez expressed remorse for her oversight in adhering to U.S. regulations and tearfully apologized for her actions. She emphasized that her intention was never to disrespect the country for which she held great appreciation.
Prosecutors, however, presented a starkly different image of Gonzalez, detailing how she amassed significant wealth while exploiting couriers to illegally bring her products into the U.S.
Despite prosecutors seeking a sentence of up to 37 months, Judge Robert Scola reduced the term considering the 14 months Gonzalez already served under tough conditions in Colombia. She is scheduled to begin her sentence June 6.
