Arizona residents charged with fraud after selling fake Native jewelry

PHOENIX (AP) — Three Arizona residents are among seven people charged with fraudulently selling jewelry imported from the Philippines as authentic Native American-made items.

A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 38-count indictment that alleges none of these jewelry items were indelibly marked with the country of origin as required by customs law.

They say 70-year-old Richard Dennis Nisbet of Peoria and his 31-year-old daughter Laura Marye Lott conspired with others to design and manufacture the jewelry in the Philippines and import it to the United States.

Lott then allegedly delivered the jewelry to retail stores in Arizona, Texas and other states and collected payments.

Prosecutors say 43-year-old Scottsdale jewelry store owner Waleed Sarrar conspired with Nisbet, Lott and others to pass off imitation jewelry manufactured abroad as authentic Native American items.