A man from California has been found guilty of illegally importing an ancient mosaic believed to have been looted from Syria.
Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi, 56, was convicted on Wednesday of bringing “falsely classified goods” into America, the US Attorney's office said.
The mosaic depicts a tale from mythology in which Hercules rescues Prometheus, dating to the Roman Empire. Authorities believe it was looted from war-torn Syria.
Alcharihi bought the mosaic for $12,000 and falsely classified its value and quality when it was imported through the Port of Long Beach, California, prosecutors said.
It arrived as part of a container shipment from Turkey that was declared as ceramic tiles worth less than $600. The mosaic, weighing about 900kg, was transported to Alcharihi's home where federal agents seized it from his garage in 2016.
Alcharihi had paid $40,000 to restore the mosaic and a government appraisal expert valued it at $450,000, the US attorney’s office said.
Alcharihi faces up to two years in prison. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for August 31.
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The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
