FLORIDA – An Arizona man has been charged for allegedly attempting to smuggle diamonds into the country through Miami International Airport.
Guilherme Cipriani, 41, of Scottsdale, Arizona, has been arrested on federal charges of smuggling diamonds into the United States and providing a false statement to a federal agency.
As alleged in a Miami federal grand jury’s indictment, on November 10, 2022, Cipriani tried to smuggle 14 loose-cut diamonds and 53 rough uncut diamonds into the U.S. through Miami International Airport (MIA). It is also alleged that Cipriani lied when he told a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent at MIA that he was not transporting commercial merchandise into the country and had spent zero dollars on commercial merchandise while abroad.
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations arrested Cipriani in Arizona, where he made his first court appearance to face the Miami federal indictment.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, made the announcement.
HSI Miami and HSI Brasilia investigated the case. HSI Arizona; CBP; the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) Resident Legal Advisor in Brasilia and Office of International Affairs; and Brazil Federal Police provided significant assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan Diaz Espinosa is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Zloch is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20123.
