SEATTLE — A Washington-based artist is facing criminal charges after he allegedly pretended to be a member of a Native American community in Arizona.
Lewis Anthony Rath is accused of misrepresenting his wood carvings and totem poles as being made by a member of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, according to a criminal complaint first published by The Daily Beast.
Federal authorities claim Rath is not Native American and intentionally deceived customers by branding his artwork as being "Indian produced."
It's illegal to sell or advertise pieces of art that falsely suggest it was made by Native Americans, according to the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.
The U.S. Attorney's Office of Washington State filed criminal charges last week after conducting a lengthy undercover investigation into Rath's artwork.
Court records show investigators bought Rath's necklaces and wooden masks from various art galleries that were told Rath was a member of San Carlos Apache.
Gallery owners told federal agents they weren't aware Rath was not a registered member of the Arizona tribe.
In Facebook messages, Rath allegedly told prospective art buyers he was of "Apache and Mexican" descent, court records show. Many of his posts on Instagram have "#NativeAmerican" tagged in pictures of artwork.
Rath allegedly told investigators his mother suggested their family had some "Indian bloodlines" before DNA tests revealed Rath was of Mayan ancestry.
"Rath admitted that he is not a lineal descendant or an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe," agents wrote in a court affidavit.
The criminal complaint against Rath charges him with four counts of misrepresenting artwork and two counts of unlawful possession of bird feathers.
Rath is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court on Dec. 10.
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