A luxury handbag designer was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally importing bags into the US made out of the pelts of protected species.

Nancy Gonzalez, the 71-year-old founder of Gzuniga Ltd, sold the bags for an average price of more than $2,000.

Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears, and Salma Hayek were reportedly among her clients, as well as cast members of "Sex and the City."