Kiem Thanh Huynh, Counterfeit Indian Art, North Carolina 2026

A husband and wife from New Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court to smuggling counterfeit Native American jewelry made in Vietnam and selling it to customers in the United States as authentic.

Kiem Thanh Huynh, 60, and My Ngoc Truong, 61, co-owned MT Jewelry MFG., Inc. (MT Jewelry) located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The business, marketed to wholesale customers, claimed on its website that it specialized in creating unique and handmade southwestern jewelry. Huynh and Truong traveled to trade shows throughout the United States, including in Western North Carolina, where they sold their merchandise as authentic Native American jewelry.

According to plea documents, much of the jewelry sold by the defendants was not Indian produced or the product of an Indian tribe. Between December 2023 and July 2024, law enforcement intercepted six shipments from Vietnam that were destined for MT Jewelry.

“Those who profit by passing off counterfeit goods as authentic Native American items are not just deceiving buyers, they are exploiting culture and taking income from Native American artists and their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.

“The Indian Arts and Crafts Act is a truth-in-marketing law that exists to protect Native artists, their work, and the generations of tradition behind it,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement.

Huynh and Truong pleaded guilty to misrepresentation of Indian goods in an amount greater than $1,000, in violation of the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, and smuggling. The case is ongoing.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/new-mexico-couple-pleads-guilty-smuggling-and-selling-counterfeit-native-american