Antiquities Trafficking Attorney in Nashville, TN
Written by Kimberly S. Hodde, National Chair of Criminal Defense at Meister Seelig & Schuster
Federal investigations into antiquities trafficking are led primarily by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), often in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and local entities such as Antiquities Trafficking Units of various District Attorneys’ Offices.
These agencies strive to locate, seize, and repatriate stolen cultural property globally. DOJ prosecutes alleged smugglers, dealers, and traffickers under cultural property and smuggling laws. These cases are a specialized area of federal white-collar criminal defense and may involve both criminal prosecution and the forfeiture of valuable property.
Federal Laws Governing Cultural Property and Antiquities
Frequently, items are seized at border crossings under the National Stolen Property Act (NSPA), which is used to prosecute the transport of illicitly exported foreign antiquities into the U.S; the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), which prohibits the unauthorized excavation, removal, sale, or transport of archaeological resources from federal and Indian lands; or, the Tariff Act, which empowers customs authorities to seize goods unlawfully imported into the country.
Challenging the Seizure of Lawfully Acquired Antiquities
Because fighting the forfeiture action is difficult and expensive, legitimate collectors often abandon seized treasure or artifacts and do not try to retain their purchase or acquisition. However, at MSS, we have successfully secured the return of seized items that were lawfully purchased or acquired when clients have the tenacity to fight these overbearing seizures.
Experienced Antiquities Trafficking Counsel
Kim Hodde oversees her staff in Nashville and collaborates with lawyers from the firm’s locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and Tennessee. While retaining the individualized, strategic representation for which Ms. Hodde is renowned, this extended nationwide platform offers clients the resources of an advanced, multi-office legal practice.
At Meister Seelig & Schuster (MSS), Kim Hodde and her colleagues work together to provide high-level counsel for CEOs, business owners, professionals, organizations, and others who need help with antiquities trafficking in Nashville, Tennessee, and across the US.
If an antiquity or cultural artifact has been seized or you are facing a trafficking investigation, contact Kim Hodde and MSS-Nashville to discuss your options.