Woman sentenced for selling feathers from endangered species RALEIGH, N.C. --
The woman who sold tribal art pieces that contained feathers of endangered and protected species to the man who now leads the Smithsonian Institution was sentenced Wednesday to help the Amazon's
indigenous tribes.
Rosita Heredia, a cultural anthropologist originally from Brazil, was
sentenced Wednesday for selling the 1,000-piece collection in 1998 to
Lawrence Small, who now leads the Smithsonian. She lived in Cary at the
time, so the case was heard in Raleigh.
It is illegal in the United States to sell, transport or possess
feathers and other body parts from endangered species. Prosecutors said Wednesday that Heredia also sold a small part of her
collection for $40,000 to Robert Lehrman, a Washington art collector and
board member of the Hirshhorn museum, a contemporary art museum that is
part of the Smithsonian.
Lehrman did not return a message Wednesday, The News & Observer of
Raleigh reported.
U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle sentenced Heredia to three
years of probation, including 40 hours of traditional community service. Boyle also ordered her to make two $10,000 donations to two
environmental organizations working to save the Amazon. Then Boyle
ordered Heredia to spend two of the next three years involved in the
effort to preserve and protect these resources, referring to the tribal
culture and the Amazon.
Heredia now lives in Orlando, Fla. Her collection is in Richmond, Va.,
in the possession of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Allen
Hundley, the wildlife agent who investigated the case.
Small's misdemeanor plea in 2004 did not affect his job at the
Smithsonian, which he did not head at the time of the sale. Court
officials said Wednesday that he hasn't completed his 100 hours of
community service.
A message left Wednesday for Small at his Washington office was not
returned, the newspaper said.
Boyle said Small risks violating his probation if he doesn't complete
his probation within six months.
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