Tougher penalties sought for fake Indian art
Posted at: 08/24/2009 10:28 AM
By: The Associated Press
The business and program specialist for the 35-year-old organization, John Chavez, says that under the state Indian Arts and Crafts Sales Act, misrepresentation of Indian arts is not a felony unless the sale is $25,000 or more.
He says on the other hand, New Mexico's general fraud statute defines a felony as a sale of $500 or more.
Chavez says that during a survey of Santa Fe merchants, some claimed turquoise they were selling came from certain U.S. mines.
But he contends some of the stones were stabilized, treated or otherwise manipulated or were synthetic or from mines in other countries.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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