Fashion Designer Nancy Gonzalez Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Smuggling Crocodile and Python Handbags
Fashion designer Nancy Gonzalez was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court for smuggling crocodile and python handbags from Colombia to the US.
Gonzalez, who supplied her accessories to celebrities like Britney Spears and the Sex and the City cast, was arrested in 2022 in Cali, Colombia, and later extradited to the US.
She ran a conspiracy that involved recruiting couriers to transport her handbags on commercial flights to high-end showrooms and fashion events in violation of US wildlife laws.
Assistant US Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald described the actions of celebrity designer Gonzalez as being driven by money, comparing her behavior to that of drug traffickers.
He argued that targeting the "cocaine kingpin" rather than the person in the field would be more effective in deterring such conduct.
In contrast, Gonzalez's lawyers presented her as a determined single mother who started designing belts on a home sewing machine in Cali for friends, and went on to become a successful fashion icon, outcompeting brands like Dior, Prada, and Gucci.
They emphasized her desire to show her children and the world that women, including minority women, can pursue their dreams and achieve financial independence.
A 71-year-old Colombian designer, despite facing odds as a tiny, third world country entrepreneur, established the first luxury, high-end fashion company.
However, after her arrest, the company declared bankruptcy and ceased operations, leaving 300 mostly female employees jobless.
The attorneys noted that the designer had already paid a heavy price for her crimes.