Designer Nancy Gonzalez Sentenced to 18 Months In Prison

Photo: Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images

Nancy Gonzalez, the luxury-handbag designer with a roster of celebrity clients, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of importing python and caiman (a type of crocodile) leather from Colombia to the U.S.

Gonzalez, a Colombian citizen, was extradited to the U.S. after being indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for charges of illegal smuggling and conspiracy last year. Python and caiman are protected in both countries, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Gonzalez and other defendants allegedly had friends and employees carry handbags on flights from Colombia to the States, where they were allegedly sold.

The designer’s lawyer, Sam Rabin, told WWD that Gonzalez was “unnecessarily incarcerated in Colombia with drug dealers and terrorists” for a year while awaiting extradition. He went on to write, via email, that Gonzalez’s “crime was not obtaining the proper paperwork for some samples so she could meet deadlines to get her goods to buyer’s shows.” He alleges that “less than 1 percent of her purses were imported without documentation. None of the animal skins used in her products came from animals taken in the wild. The skins came from farm-raised animals to ensure that they did not impact the population of animals in the wild.”

Gonzalez, who is 70, could have faced up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and up to 20 on each smuggling charge, as well fines of up to $250,000, or twice the intended gain from the relevant conduct, depending on which is more, for each count. She also could have potentially been fined $500,000, or twice the intended gain from the relevant conduct, depending on which is greater, for each of the three counts if convicted.

Lawyers for Gonzalez pleaded her case as one of a single mother trying to compete with industry giants. “She was determined to show her children and the world that women, including minority women like herself, can pursue their dreams successfully, and become financially independent,” her attorneys wrote in a memo before the designer’s hearing, according to ABC News. “Against all odds, this tiny but mighty woman was able to create the very first luxury, high-end fashion company from a third world country.”

In her sentencing, Judge Robert Scola noted that U.S. officials warned the designer twice, in 2016 and 2017, to abide by specific rules and regulations and called her actions “egregious.” Ultimately, though, Judge Scola took into account the 14 months Gonzalez spent in harsh conditions in a Colombian prison, despite prosecutors pushing for a 30-to-37-month sentence. Gonzalez is out on bond at her daughter’s home in Miami until June 6, when she’s expected to surrender to authorities.

Before sentencing, Gonzalez told the court she only wished to hug her 103-year-old mother one more time. “From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to the United States of America. I never intended to offend a country to which I owe immense gratitude,” she said. “Under pressure, I made poor decisions.”