Florida Man Forfeits Smuggled Antiquities: Cuneiform Tablets From 3000 BC and Chinese Scroll Artwork Among Items Seized, $75,000 Also Forfeited
PENSACOLA, Florida — Matthew Weinberg of Miramar Beach, Florida, has forfeited to the United States multiple antiquities dating as far back as circa 3000 BC, U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida announced. The recovered artifacts will be repatriated to their countries of origin.
Court documents show that in July 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was notified by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Pensacola about a shipment inbound to Pensacola International Airport from the United Arab Emirates, destined for Weinberg. The manifest claimed the shipment contained two terracotta objects valued at less than $200; on appraisal, it held two cuneiform tablets dating to 3000-2000 BC from modern-day Iraq, valued at more than $15,000 in total. Investigators then determined that Weinberg had also unlawfully obtained shipments from Iran, Egypt and Cyprus, likewise significantly undervalued on their manifests, including bronze figures, ceramic architectural models and terracotta idols.
In March 2026, federal agents executed a search and seizure warrant at Weinberg's Miramar Beach residence, seizing ancient Hebrew Torah scrolls, scroll artwork originating from China, and items from circa 712-525 BC Egypt, among other things. Heekin said the improperly obtained foreign antiquities have been recovered and will be repatriated to their rightful owners, thanking prosecutors and federal law enforcement partners for investigating the violations of federal anti-smuggling statutes.
Because of import restrictions agreed between the United States and Iraq, Egypt, Cyprus and other countries, Weinberg was prohibited from possessing the artifacts. In addition to forfeiting the artifacts, he forfeited $75,000 in U.S. currency as proceeds of violations of federal anti-smuggling statutes, and will be barred for two years from selling or purchasing any foreign antiquities or artifacts. The case was investigated by HSI and CBP in Pensacola and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winifred L. Acosta and David L. Goldberg.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 楔形文字泥板资料图（公共领域，Wikimedia Commons；非本案查获物）
