Florida man charged with fraudulently selling jewelry as ‘Native-American Made’ participated in Art & Apples

ROCHESTER — A 45-year-old Florida man has been charged with fraudulently selling jewelry at local art fairs as Native American-made.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, Jose Farinango Muenala, 45, of Casselberry, Florida, is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud and misrepresenting Indian-produced goods.

Paint Creek Center for the Arts Executive Director Shaun Hayes confirmed that Farinango Muenala was accepted into and participated in the Art & Apples Festival in 2022, “based on the quality of his work.”

“The 2023 festival saw an increase in the number of artists that applied, and he was not invited to participate due to other artists in the same category scoring higher with our jury. This artist did not apply to be included in this year’s show and will not be returning accordingly,” Hayes said in an email.

The charges against Farinango Muenala were the result of an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Craft Board.

“Safeguarding Native American culture, traditions and the consumers who purchase authentic Native American art are a critical part of these investigations,” Edward Grace, the assistant director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Law Enforcement, said in a statement.

Indian Arts and Crafts Board Director Meridith Stanton explained that the board administers and enforces the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.

“The Act is intended to rid the Indian arts and crafts marketplace of fakes to protect the economic livelihoods and cultural heritage of Indian artists, craftspeople, and their Tribes, as well as the buying public,” Stanton said in a statement. “Authentic Indian art and craftwork is an important tool for passing down cultural traditions, traditional knowledge, and artistic skills from one generation to the next.”

The indictment alleges that from Dec. 3, 2015, to Jan. 17, 2024, Farinango Muenala applied to art shows across the United States to sell jewelry, falsely representing that he was Native American and that he made the jewelry he was selling.

On Aug. 2, 2023, Farinango Muenala allegedly sold the misrepresented jewelry during the Loon Day Festival in Mercer, Wisconsin, in violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, a truth-in-marketing law.

“Jose Farinango’s false tribal affiliation cheated customers and impacted the economic and cultural livelihood of Native American artists,” Grace said in a statement.

If convicted, Farinango Muenala faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the wire and mail fraud charges. He faces a maximum of five years in prison on the misrepresentation of Indian produced goods charge.

Farinango Muenala’s attorney could not be reached for comment at press time.