A Washington man has been sentenced for his role in a scheme that falsely marketed Philippine-made art as authentic Alaska Native artwork — a direct violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.
39-year-old Cameron Losi, also known as Cameron Lawrence, worked as a salesperson for Alaska Stone Arts LLC in Ketchikan. Federal investigators say between 2016 and 2021, he and others conspired to sell hundreds of carvings and totem poles—imported from the Philippines—as authentic Alaska Native-made art.
The stores involved—Alaska Stone Arts LLC and Rail Creek LLC—were owned by Cristobal, Glenda, and Christian Rodrigo, all from Washington. They reportedly used Filipino labor through their overseas company to mass-produce the items, shipping them to Alaska where they were falsely advertised as handcrafted by Alaska Natives.
“Losi misrepresented himself as the sole artisan of the carvings, and claimed his co-workers were Alaska Native family members involved in producing the artwork,” said court documents.
Federal prosecutors say the Rodrigos intentionally hired Alaska Natives and others to add credibility to the scam. Two of the employees—Travis Macasaet and Simeon Cabansag—were Alaska Natives unknowingly entangled in the operation.
As part of his sentence, Losi will serve five years’ probation, perform 250 hours of community service, and pay more than $12,000 in restitution. He’s also required to publicly apologize to victims and to the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act is meant to protect the integrity and value of Native American art by preventing misrepresentation. The investigation into others involved in this scheme is ongoing.
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