Mythical animal costs Denali-area clothing shop $53,000 in fines

woven booties next to two bags
This screenshot from a court filing by the Alaska Department of Law shows two identical pairs of wool booties taken from a tourist shop near Denali National Park. One pair bears the label “made in Nepal,” while the other says that it was made in Alaska. (Screenshot)

A clothing shop near Denali National Park will pay $53,000 in fines to the state of Alaska after telling an undercover investigator that it was selling items made from Yakutat alpacas, which do not exist.

The fines are the result of a consumer protection lawsuit filed in July by the Alaska Department of Law against the owners of a shop known variously as The Himalayan and Mt. McKinley Clothing Company. State prosecutors reached a settlement agreement in November.

State law prohibits someone from falsely claiming that a product was made in Alaska. 

According to the state, the clothing shop repeatedly attempted to mislabel foreign products as Alaska-made, something verified by an undercover investigation.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the shop will have to pay fines and notify the state before it sells any products labeled as “made in Alaska.” The terms of the agreement expire in 2028.

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