Woman Fined and Shamed for Pleading to Selling Less Than $1,000 in Counterfeit Native American Jewelry

A San Francisco woman, Molly Breivis, was fined $10,000 after being convicted of selling counterfeit Native American jewelry.

According to the Department of Justice, Breivis pleaded guilty on the same day to Misrepresentation of Indian Produced Goods of Less Than $1,000. Pursuant to her plea agreement, Breivis agreed to issue a public letter of apology to the Native America community that will be published on the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) website.

The 57-year-old Breivis was sentenced to time served in addition to the fine.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona issued the press touting the conviction.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Breivis fraudulently sold Native American jewelry online between approximately 2020 and 2024 on her eBay store. She claimed the jewelry was produced by Apache, Laguna, Navajo, or Zuni artists. Breivis, however, imported the jewelry from Asia and it was not produced by Native American artists. Breivis received two warning letters from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the IACB, warning her that selling counterfeit Native American jewelry violated the Indian Arts and Crafts Act but she ignored those warnings.

In total, Breivis admitted to selling over $92,000 in counterfeit jewelry. In her letter of apology that will be published on the IACB website, Breivis wrote, “I recognize that my conduct harmed customers and affected Native American artists, artisans, and businesses that depend on the sale of authentic work. I understand that it also undermined confidence in the market for authentic Native American jewelry.”

“The deliberate misrepresentation and sale of counterfeit Native American jewelry, as seen in this case, inflicts real harm on both the marketplace and the cultural heritage of Native American artists and tribes,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement in the press release. “These fraudulent practices deceive consumers and undermine the economic wellbeing of Native American communities. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, remains steadfast in investigating Indian Arts and Crafts Act violations. Our dedicated team of special agents works tirelessly to protect the integrity and authenticity of Native American art, ensuring that artists and tribes are recognized and respected for their genuine craftsmanship.”

“By statute, the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, U.S. Department of the Interior, is responsible for administering and enforcing the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, a truth-in-marketing law intended to remove counterfeit Indian art from the marketplace to protect Indian artists, economies, and cultures, as well as consumers nationwide,” said Indian Arts and Crafts Board Director Meridith Stanton in the press release. “By selling imported jewelry from Asia misrepresented as authentic Apache, Laguna, Navajo, and Zuni jewelry through her eBay store, Breivis undercut the livelihoods and traditions of these Tribes and the integrity of their artists’ creative work and defrauded vulnerable customers. We thank the Office of the U.S. Attorney-District of Arizona and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service IACA Investigative Unit for their diligent work on this case.”