LOS ANGELES—A Palmdale man was found guilty June 21 of illegally importing a 2,000-pound ancient mosaic depicting the Roman god Hercules dating from the era of the Roman Empire by using fraudulent documents in hopes of avoiding import duties.
Yassin Alcharihi, 56, was convicted of one federal count of entry of falsely classified goods.
U.S. District Judge George H. Wu scheduled sentencing for Aug. 31. Alcharihi faces up to two years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal prosecutors say the relic, which is 18 feet long, 8 feet tall, and weighs one ton, was looted from war-torn Syria and smuggled via Turkey. It depicts Hercules and other figures from Roman mythology….