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8h ago

Ashraf Omar Eldarir Gets Six Months for Smuggling Egyptian Antiquities

Prosecutors plan to repatriate more than 600 recovered artifacts to Egypt following forfeiture.

Many of the Egyptian artifacts found in the luggage of Ashraf Omar Eldarir while entering JFK Airport on Jan. 22, 2020. (U.S. Department of Justice)
An ancient Roman limestone head that Ashraf Omar Eldarir pleaded guilty to smuggling in through JFK Airport on Nov. 6, 2019. The object sold $1,200 at auction.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Rachel P. Kovner sentenced Eldarir on August 27 in Brooklyn federal court after his February 2025 guilty plea to four smuggling counts.
  • CBP officers at JFK found 590 undeclared artifacts in his three suitcases on January 22, 2020, after he claimed his luggage held only $300 in goods.
  • Prosecutors said he used fabricated provenance papers and doctored photos to place objects with U.S. auction houses, and agents found materials used to forge documentation.
  • Court filings describe contacts with individuals at illicit dig sites in Egypt and consignments to Palmyra Heritage, Arte Primitivo, and Christie’s, with about 500 items sold between 2011 and 2019 for more than $600,000.
  • HSI and CBP credited the recovery of over 600 artifacts, including the JFK seizure appraised at about $82,000, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office said forfeiture and repatriation to Egypt are underway.