Florida man forfeits ancient Torah scrolls, cuneiform tablets in US antiquities smuggling probe

Weinberg forfeited $75,000 in US currency as proceeds of violations of federal anti-smuggling statutes, and was barred for two years from selling or purchasing any foreign antiquities.

Two ancient Torah scrolls and Mesopotamian tablets dating back up to 4,000 years are among antiquities forfeited by a Florida man as part of a federal smuggling investigation, the US Department of Justice announced Monday.

The Torah scrolls were seized by authorities back in March, alongside Chinese scroll artwork and ancient Egyptian artifacts, after federal agents lawfully searched the home of Matthew Weinberg in Miramar Beach.

According to court documents, investigations into Weinberg began in July 2025 after US Customs and Border Protection agents notified the Department of Homeland Security of a suspicious shipment it had detained.

The shipment, traveling inbound to Pensacola International Airport from the United Arab Emirates and destined for Weinberg, listed on its manifest two terracotta objects valued at less than $200.

After the shipment was appraised following its detention, it was revealed to contain two cuneiform tablets from Iraq, valued at over $15,000 and dating to between 3,000 and 2,000 BCE.

After the discovery, authorities investigated several other shipments destined for Weinberg and determined that, in addition to the shipment from the UAE, he had also illegally obtained shipments of antiquities from Iran, Egypt, and Cyprus.

All of the shipments were found to have the antiquities listed as significantly undervalued items on their manifests, just as were the tablets from Iraq. These shipments included bronze figures, ceramic architectural models, and terracotta idols.

Weinberg fines, barred from antiquities market for two years

Due to import restrictions agreed upon by the United States and Iraq, Egypt, Cyprus, and other countries, Weinberg was prohibited from the possession of these artifacts.

In addition to forfeiting the artifacts to the United States so that they can be repatriated to their countries of origin in the future, Weinberg forfeited $75,000 in United States currency as proceeds of violations of federal anti-smuggling statutes.

He was also barred for two years from selling or purchasing any foreign antiquities or artifacts.

“Thanks to the hard work of my tenacious attorneys, these improperly obtained foreign antiquities have been recovered and will be repatriated back to their countries of origin,” said John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“Special thanks go to our federal law enforcement partners for investigating these violations of our anti-smuggling statutes, and for ensuring these ancient artifacts are returned to their rightful owners.”