Cheap Asian knockoffs passed off as authentic Native American jewelry in $92K eBay scam
Display of handmade Native American jewelry by a Navajo woman at a rustic sales stall in the desert-like landscape of Monument Valley, Ariz. (Harald Langeullstein via Getty Images)
PHOENIX - A California woman was sentenced in a Phoenix federal courtroom on Wednesday after admitting to running an online scheme that sold more than $92,000 worth of counterfeit Native American jewelry imported from Asia.
What we know:
Molly Breivis, 57, of San Francisco, was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine alongside a sentence of time served. Breivis pleaded guilty to misrepresentation of Indian-produced goods, admitting that she fraudulently marketed Asian knockoffs as authentic tribal creations. As part of her plea agreement, she must also publish a formal letter of apology to the Native American community on the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Board website.
The backstory:
According to federal court documents, Breivis operated an eBay storefront between 2020 and 2024, advertising pieces as authentic work handcrafted by Apache, Laguna, Navajo and Zuni artisans. In reality, the jewelry was mass-imported from Asia. Federal investigators revealed that Breivis received two formal warning letters from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service advising her that her sales violated the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, but she repeatedly ignored the notices and continued to operate the store.
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In her apology letter, Breivis acknowledged the damage caused by her actions, writing that her conduct harmed buyers, affected indigenous businesses that rely on genuine craftsmanship and undermined public confidence in the marketplace for authentic Native American jewelry.
What they're saying:
"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 Doug Ault, assistant director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement.
Indian Arts and Crafts Board Director Meridith Stanton added, "By selling imported jewelry from Asia misrepresented as authentic … 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."
Local perspective:
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aron Ketchel for the District of Arizona in Phoenix.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Offices of the United States Attorneys.