A Florida man has forfeited thousands-of-years-old antiquities, including ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets, after federal investigators uncovered shipments containing cultural artifacts that had been falsely declared at values far below their actual worth. The seized items will be returned to their countries of origin, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida.

The case began in July 2025, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers detained a shipment from the United Arab Emirates addressed to Matthew Weinberg of Miramar Beach, Florida. The package was bound for Pensacola International Airport, and its shipping documents described two terracotta objects with a combined declared value of less than $200.

An appraisal revealed that the shipment actually contained two ancient clay tablets bearing cuneiform writing, an early form of written language used in Mesopotamia. The tablets originated in what is now Iraq and dated to between 3000 and 2000 B.C. Their combined estimated value exceeded $15,000.

Investigators subsequently identified additional shipments addressed to Weinberg from Iran, Egypt and Cyprus. Those packages contained bronze figures, ceramic models of buildings and terracotta idols, with the contents similarly declared at values substantially below their actual worth.

Federal agents searched Weinberg's residence in March 2026 and discovered additional historical and religious artifacts. Among the items seized were ancient Hebrew Torah scrolls, Chinese scroll artwork, and Egyptian antiquities dating from approximately 712 to 525 B.C.

Photographs released by prosecutors showed several of the recovered objects, including a clay tablet covered in rows of ancient markings, multiple figurines and a scroll wound around two wooden rollers.

Prosecutors said federal import restrictions prohibited Weinberg from possessing the antiquities. U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin said the forfeited objects would be repatriated to their respective countries of origin.

In addition to surrendering the artifacts, Weinberg forfeited $75,000 that prosecutors identified as proceeds from violations of federal anti-smuggling laws. He will also be prohibited from purchasing or selling foreign antiquities and cultural artifacts for two years.