FAKE INDIAN SELLING COUNTERFEIT INDIAN ART PLEADS GUILTY TO FELONY VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS ACT

On November 3, 2026, Jose Martinez ( D.B.A Joseph Skywolf of Skywolf’s Gallery ) pled guilty in the U.S. District of Court for the District of Nevada to a felony violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, PL 101-644, for misrepresenting and selling fake Indian artwork as authentic Native American made products. 

According to statements made in court, beginning on or about December 7, 2023, and continuing to about December 10, 2024, Martinez offered or displayed for sale various kinds of artwork, such as headdresses, jewelry, paintings, and beaded tanned hides, that he falsely represented as made by an Indian or by a specific Indian Tribe. 

Chief U.S. District Judge for the District of Nevada Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Martinez to a felony, 24 months of supervised probation, and ordered him to pay $14,100 in restitution

“The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) of the U.S. Department of the Interior by statute is responsible for administering and enforcing the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, an anti-counterfeiting law that protects Indian artists and consumers,” said IACB Director Meridith Stanton.  “Authentic Indian art and craftwork is an important tool for passing down cultural traditions and artistic skills from one generation to the next. 

Director Stanton noted:  While falsely claiming to be Chiricahua Apache, Apache, Navajo, and Native American when selling his counterfeit Indian art, Martinez undercut authentic Indian artists and Indian economies, culture, and traditions.  Through sales made from his mobile Skywolf’s Gallery, his previous Skywolf’s Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, as well as various Indian art markets and other venues across the West, Southwest, and Plains regions, he deceived unwitting consumers and eroded the integrity of the overall Indian art market. Due to the outstanding work of the Office of the U.S. Attorney-District of Nevada and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Indian Arts and Crafts Investigative Unit, Martinez is being held accountable and the message is clear.  For those selling counterfeit Indian art and craftwork it is important to know that wherever you are we will diligently work to find you and prosecute you under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.”

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Jose Martinez, (D.B.A Joseph Skywolf of Skywolf’s Gallery ) Photo Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement