Ashraf Omar Eldarir was sentenced to six months in prison by United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner in Brooklyn federal court for smuggling Egyptian antiquities into the United States through John F. Kennedy International Airport. The sentencing follows Eldarir’s guilty plea in February 2025 to four counts of smuggling.
Authorities recovered more than 600 Egyptian artifacts during the investigation, which had been brought into the country via Eldarir’s network. The case was announced by Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; and Francis J. Russo, Director of Field Operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), New York Field Office.
“The defendant looted Egypt’s cultural treasures and lied to U.S. Customs about them as part of a web of deception he spun to illegally fill his pockets with cash,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Those who steal cultural treasures of other countries and smuggle them into the United States should know that they will be held accountable for their crimes. We commend our HSI and CBP partners for their diligent and important work in this case and look forward to repatriating to Egypt the recovered antiquities.”
“Safeguarding cultural heritage is an often-overlooked yet important aspect of border security, as smugglers frequently exploit similar vulnerabilities to transport stolen artifacts and other illicit goods,” stated CBP Director of Field Operations Russo. “In this case, the profit-driven defendant lied during border inspection to conceal priceless antiquities, but the vigilance of CBP officers uncovered the truth. Every day, our officers work tirelessly to protect both our security and the cultural heritage of nations worldwide, and while doing so, uncover other sophisticated smuggling plots. Strong partnerships with agencies like HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are critical to this mission, and CBP remains committed to preserving history while enforcing the law.”
According to court documents, Eldarir trafficked ancient Egyptian artifacts on at least four occasions between April 2019 and January 22, 2020. He used fake provenance documents—meant to show an artifact’s history—to sell these items at auction houses in the United States.
On January 22, 2020, when arriving from Egypt at JFK Airport, Eldarir falsely declared he was carrying goods valued at only $300. Upon inspection by CBP officers, three checked suitcases were found containing 590 artifacts wrapped in bubble wrap and foam; sand and dirt inside indicated recent excavation. Items included gold amulets from funerary sets and wooden tomb model figures dating back nearly four thousand years. Authorities also found materials used for fabricating documentation for these items.
Following his arrest at JFK Airport, further investigation led officials to recover additional illegally imported artifacts now forfeited along with those seized during his arrival.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys William P. Campos and Nomi Berenson with support from Paralegal Specialist Amara Padilla; forfeiture matters are managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Mantell from the Office’s Asset Recovery Section.
Eldarir is a resident of Brooklyn, New York.
