Palmdale man convicted of illegally importing ancient Roman mosaic from Syria

A federal court convicted a Palmdale man of illegally importing a two-millennia-old Roman mosaic taken from Syria during the height of the country's civil war. 

According to the United States Department of Justice, Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi purchased the mosaic in 2015. The art piece depicts the story of Hercules rescuing Prometheus from Greek and Roman mythology. Prometheus, commonly referred to as the God of Fire, had been chained to a rock for defying his fellow deities and delivering fire to humanity. 

Prosecutors claimed the 56-year-old paid $12,000 and did not disclose that he was importing Syrian antiquity. Instead, Alcharihi lied to his customs broker and declared that he was importing ceramic tiles from Turkey for less than $600. The DOJ claimed a governmental appraisal expert valued the mosaic at $450,000.

In the months leading to Alcharihi's crimes, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution denouncing the destruction of cultural heritage in Syria. At the time, forces were fighting against terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State in Irag and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Nusrah Front. 

Authorities have stored the 2,000-pound mosaic in a secure facility in Los Angeles since seizing it from Alcharihi's garage in March 2016. 

Alcharihi faces a max of two years in prison. He is expected to be sentenced on Aug. 31.