MADISON, Wis – A Florida artist who was charged federally for lying to potential buyers across the Midwest by selling bogus Native American-made art has been sentenced in federal court.
Jose Farinango Muenala was sentenced Jan. 29 in U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin to three years of probation and a $25,000 fine after pleading guilty to misrepresentation of Indian produced goods, federal court records show.
He faced multiple felony charges following an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Craft Board (IACA) which found Muenala had no ties to any Native American tribe…