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Kim Kardashian is denying having any knowledge of a foreign artifact that was purchased and imported into the States under her name.
The makeup and fashion mogul was named in a federal court complaint regarding a Roman statue federal authorities allege was "smuggled" from Italy and must be forfeited but a rep for Kardashian maintains she had no idea the purchase was even made, according to TMZ.
The outlet reported on Thursday, citing a source close to the reality star, that Kardashian, 40, only recently learned of the large purchase, which was allegedly bought by her estranged husband Kanye West, 43, and was part of a larger purchase of expensive art.
The gossip site presses that Kardashian is unsure if West bought the piece as a gift or if he had planned on divulging it to Kardashian at all.
A rep for West did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
U.S. attorneys filed a complaint in the Central District of California on Friday against One Antique Roman Statue and the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star is listed as an individual included in the Noel Roberts Trust who "may be adversely affected" by the filing.
According to the complaint obtained by Fox News, the One Antique Roman Statue was seized back in June 2016 by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Los Angeles. The statue is currently in the custody of CBP. Kardashian was listed as "the consignee and importer name."
Included in the shipment was 40 pieces of antique objects estimated with a value of $745,882, documents state. Masterpiece International was listed as the broker of the statue.
KIM KARDASHIAN, CHER THANK JOE BIDEN FOR RECOGNIZING THE ARMENIAN MASSACRE AS GENOCIDE
Kim Kardashian has been dragged into a federal complaint over an alleged 'smuggled' Roman statue. (Getty)
"The [Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent] requested that the defendant statue be detained until further research could be conducted," the court complaint explains.
The statue was photographed in May 2016. It's been described as a limestone fragment of Myron Samian Athena and coming from an "Old German collection, bought before 1980." The statue was purportedly sold from buyer Axel Vervoordt to the Noel Robert Trust.
According to the filing, there are conflicting descriptions of the statue in its entry/immediate delivery forms. An invoice stated the statue originated from Italy. However, an affidavit signed by Robert Lauwers, who was allegedly listed as the "director of the Art-historical Department" for Vervoordt, claimed it "does not originate from Italy."
Vervoordt told TMZ on Thursday that he acquired the statue "in good faith" from a French art gallery, which bought it from a German auction house, according to the outlet.
Kim Kardashian is currently in the middle of a divorce from her husband Kanye West. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
"At this point there is no evidence that this piece was illegally imported from Italy," Vervoordt said. "If investigation proves that the piece was actually exported from Italy without a proper export license from the Italian Ministry of Culture, then we will of course take our responsibility."
The HSI "received information about the defendant statue from Italy's Carabinieri for the Protection of Culture Heritage" in 2016. Among the information received, feds learned that Vervoordt purchased the statue in 2011, contradicting the 2012 sale date listed on an invoice, documents state.
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"The TPC requested that all efforts be made for the return of the defendant statue to Italy in accordance with the bilateral agreement between Italy and the United States," the documents further state.
An archaeologist who inspected the object determined the statue "was looted, smuggled and illegally exported from Italy."
"Plaintiff alleges that the defendant statue was illegally imported and entered into the United States in violation of the CPIA," the complaint further alleges.
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U.S. attorneys are now requesting that notice be given "to all interested parties" to show cause as to why a forfeiture should not be carried out.
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