Stephanie Scolaro, 26, a model and heiress to an Italian mining fortune, was ordered to complete 160 hours of community service after pleading guilty to illegally importing and selling products made of python skin.
The judge at the Southwark Crown Court, Judge Michael Gledhill, announced the sentence on January 21, 2019. According to Sky News, Judge Gledhill harshly criticized Scolaro in the courtroom. He called her “utterly self-centered” and that she has “no thought for anybody else.”
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Law Enforcement Began Investigating Scolaro in 2016 After Seizing a Package That Contained Hats & Bags Made of Python Skin; Pythons Are Protected Under an International Endangered Species Treaty
Python skin bag.
The investigation into Stephanie Scolaro began in November of 2016. According to the Metropolitan Police, customs agents at the Leipzig Airport in Germany seized a package that was originally mailed from Indonesia.
It contained multiple products made of python skins. The package included 10 hats and 2 bags. The items were reportedly worth nearly $20,000 U.S. dollars.
This discovery triggered an investigation because pythons are protected animals under a treaty called the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Border agents alerted the Met’s Wildlife Crime Unit, which opened an investigation.
Police discovered the package had been on its way to the home of Scolaro’s parents in Mayfair, which is an affluent neighborhood on the west side of London.
2. Police: Scolaro Sold the Python Skin Products Online & at Three Shops in London
Investigators honed in on Stephanie Scolaro. They discovered that she ran a website called SS-Python.com. (The site has been deactivated). According to Met Police, Scolaro sold python skin hats, bags, chokers, and mobile phone covers through this online business.
The investigation led police to Scolaro’s home in Marylebone, London, in March of 2017. They recovered five additional python skin hats at the house. In a news release, police did not specify whether they interviewed Scolaro at the house.
But after that seizure, officers did question Scolaro at a police station. That led to the discovery that Scolaro had also been selling products to three stores in the London area. Police seized the python skin items from all three stores and alerted the shop owners that the items had been imported illegally.
3. Stephanie Scolaro Pleaded Guilty to Illegally Importing & Selling the Python Skin Products
Investigators formally charged Stephanie Scolaro in October of 2018 on six counts: “two counts of importing goods with the intention to evade prohibition; and four counts of keeping for sale specimens of species imported/acquired unlawfully.”
Scolaro pleaded guilty on December 14, 2018. She could have faced up to seven years behind bars, according to the London Times.
Instead, Scolaro was ordered to complete 160 hours of community service over the next two years. As mentioned above, Judge Michael Gledhill QC did not mince his words during the sentencing hearing. He accused Scolaro of not caring about the pain the pythons would have felt while they were being skinned alive. He also said that Scolaro is accustomed to getting everything she wants and that she “needs guidance.”
4. Scolaro Has More Than 100,000 Instagram Followers & Promotes Brands on Her Page
Stephanie Scolaro has attracted a massive following on social media. She has more than 106,000 followers on Instagram. Her page is filled with photos of her worldwide travels, as well as many bikini pictures.
One of the companies that she tags frequently is the bathing suit collection called “BeautyNtheBox.” In September of 2018, Scolaro shared a video advertisement for the brand on Youtube.
Other brands Scolaro has promoted on Instagram include Xquisite Boutique, Hot Skinny Tea, and Bubbly & Co. It’s unclear whether those were paid promotions.
5. Stephanie Scolaro is the Daughter of an Italian Mining Tycoon & Her Sister Was Featured on the ‘Rich Kids of Instagram’
Kopane Diamond Developments Francesco Scolaro.
Stephanie Scolaro was born into luxury. Her mother, Anna, is British.
Her father is Francesco Scolaro, 54, known as an Italian mining tycoon. According to Bloomberg, Scolaro is the Chairman of the Grandinex International Corp, which is based in Seychelles. He previously served as Executive Chairman of Paragon Diamonds Limited and as Chairman of Kopane Diamond Developments. According to a 2009 report, Kopane had produced and recovered more than 350,000 carats of diamonds since its founding.
Her younger sister, Lana, also has a major following on social media. Lana has more than 112,000 followers and was featured on the reality TV show “Rich Kids of Instagram.”