Dig revealing 700-year-old village
Associated Press
7:35 AM CDT, June 20, 2009
LEWISTOWN, Ill. - The remains of a 700-year-old American Indian village are slowly beginning to emerge from the ground near Dickson Mounds. The ongoing archaeological dig is revealing tools, pottery and even the living quarters, and the public is invited to see the artifacts firsthand. Students from Michigan State University are spending six weeks digging at The Nature Conservancy, located on land at the north end of the conservancy's Emiquon Preserve about two miles northeast of the Dickson Mounds Museum. Their efforts have turned up shards of pottery, arrowheads and the foundations of houses and other structures that date back to about 1300. The public was invited to the site for an open house on Saturday to view the findings. Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-ancientvillage,0,7307983.story
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Another artifact-theft defendant found dead of apparent suicide
Another artifact-theft defendant found dead of apparent suicide
Raid fallout » Santa Fe resident apparently shot himself in chest in Illinois, coroner says.
By Patty Henetz
Salt Lake Tribune
Updated:06/19/2009 04:13:31 PM MDT
A second defendant in the federal bust of archaeological looters in southern Utah has killed himself.
Steven L. Shrader, 56, shot himself twice in the chest late Thursday or early Friday behind an elementary schoool in the Village of Shabbona, Ill., authorities there said.
The DeKalb County sheriff's office had been looking for a "despondent individual" since receiving a call just before 11 p.m., said sheriff's office Chief Deputy Kevin Hickey.
Deputies launched a search with tracker dogs and found Shrader about 1 a.m. Flown by helicopter to a hospital in Rockford, Ill., he was pronounced dead at 2:18 a.m. Friday.
Shrader, a Santa Fe, N.M. resident, was among 24 people indicted in a 2 1/2-year investigation of looting and grave-robbing Indian artifacts on public and tribal land in southeastern Utah.
On June 10, federal agents simultaneously served warrants and arrested 19 residents of San Juan County and Moab in the bust. Shrader was one of four others also charged in the sweep.
The next day, Blanding doctor James Redd, who also was charged in the crackdown on illegal antiquity trafficking, took his life while sitting in his vehicle by a pond on his property. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Winnebago County, Ill., Coroner Sue Fiduccia said Shrader was in Illinois to visit his mother. Fiduccia also said Shrader had left a note.
Hickey said the contents of the note would not be disclosed.
Reached at her home in Shabbona, Shrader's mother, Iola Schrader, said she "couldn't talk" and that she was alone.
Shrader voluntarily turned himself in last Friday at the FBI offices in Santa Fe and was taken into custody on a federal warrant, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Fuhrman of the Salt Lake City office.
Shrader was released from custody after his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on Monday. Federal agents took him back to Santa Fe that day. His residence was not the subject of any of the search warrants executed by the FBI and BLM. He was scheduled to make an initial appearance in Salt Lake City on Friday morning, Fuhrman said.
U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman said that during the operation, an undercover operative paid about $336,000 for more than 250 artifacts from the Four Corners area, including sacred prayer sticks, baby blankets, seed jars and other objects included in ancient Puebloan burial mounds.
Shrader, who faced two felony counts, was indicted for trafficking in stolen artifacts along with Carl Crites, 74, Marie Crites, 68, and Richard Bourret, 59, all of Durango, Colo.
An affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Denver implicates Shrader in a 2008 "arrowhead hunt" in Disappointment Valley near Dove Creek, Colo. The affidavit says an undercover operative, identified only as the "Source," was in the Crites residence in March 2008, where Crites displayed arrowheads he said came from Disappointment Valley, a huge area ringed by prehistoric ruins.
During a subsequent conversation between the Source, Shrader said he had gone to the valley with Crites. It was unclear from court papers whether he was on public land.
Reached at his home in Durango, Crites said he was unsure of Shrader's involvement in the federal case. "I don't know why he was charged even," Crites said. "I don't think he did anything wrong."
Crites lamented the loss. "That's a shock to me, because he was a friend," Crites said. "He was a good young man. A single man. A hard-working man. Very personable."
Crites declined to further discuss his relationship with Shrader.
Brandon Loomis contributed to this article.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12643036
Raid fallout » Santa Fe resident apparently shot himself in chest in Illinois, coroner says.
By Patty Henetz
Salt Lake Tribune
Updated:06/19/2009 04:13:31 PM MDT
A second defendant in the federal bust of archaeological looters in southern Utah has killed himself.
Steven L. Shrader, 56, shot himself twice in the chest late Thursday or early Friday behind an elementary schoool in the Village of Shabbona, Ill., authorities there said.
The DeKalb County sheriff's office had been looking for a "despondent individual" since receiving a call just before 11 p.m., said sheriff's office Chief Deputy Kevin Hickey.
Deputies launched a search with tracker dogs and found Shrader about 1 a.m. Flown by helicopter to a hospital in Rockford, Ill., he was pronounced dead at 2:18 a.m. Friday.
Shrader, a Santa Fe, N.M. resident, was among 24 people indicted in a 2 1/2-year investigation of looting and grave-robbing Indian artifacts on public and tribal land in southeastern Utah.
On June 10, federal agents simultaneously served warrants and arrested 19 residents of San Juan County and Moab in the bust. Shrader was one of four others also charged in the sweep.
The next day, Blanding doctor James Redd, who also was charged in the crackdown on illegal antiquity trafficking, took his life while sitting in his vehicle by a pond on his property. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Winnebago County, Ill., Coroner Sue Fiduccia said Shrader was in Illinois to visit his mother. Fiduccia also said Shrader had left a note.
Hickey said the contents of the note would not be disclosed.
Reached at her home in Shabbona, Shrader's mother, Iola Schrader, said she "couldn't talk" and that she was alone.
Shrader voluntarily turned himself in last Friday at the FBI offices in Santa Fe and was taken into custody on a federal warrant, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Fuhrman of the Salt Lake City office.
Shrader was released from custody after his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on Monday. Federal agents took him back to Santa Fe that day. His residence was not the subject of any of the search warrants executed by the FBI and BLM. He was scheduled to make an initial appearance in Salt Lake City on Friday morning, Fuhrman said.
U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman said that during the operation, an undercover operative paid about $336,000 for more than 250 artifacts from the Four Corners area, including sacred prayer sticks, baby blankets, seed jars and other objects included in ancient Puebloan burial mounds.
Shrader, who faced two felony counts, was indicted for trafficking in stolen artifacts along with Carl Crites, 74, Marie Crites, 68, and Richard Bourret, 59, all of Durango, Colo.
An affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Denver implicates Shrader in a 2008 "arrowhead hunt" in Disappointment Valley near Dove Creek, Colo. The affidavit says an undercover operative, identified only as the "Source," was in the Crites residence in March 2008, where Crites displayed arrowheads he said came from Disappointment Valley, a huge area ringed by prehistoric ruins.
During a subsequent conversation between the Source, Shrader said he had gone to the valley with Crites. It was unclear from court papers whether he was on public land.
Reached at his home in Durango, Crites said he was unsure of Shrader's involvement in the federal case. "I don't know why he was charged even," Crites said. "I don't think he did anything wrong."
Crites lamented the loss. "That's a shock to me, because he was a friend," Crites said. "He was a good young man. A single man. A hard-working man. Very personable."
Crites declined to further discuss his relationship with Shrader.
Brandon Loomis contributed to this article.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12643036
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Bear Butte ~ Commission grants Glencoe liquor applications
Commission grants Glencoe liquor applications
License transfer passes on narrow margin
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times-Tribune staff | Thursday, June 18, 2009
STURGIS -- Meade County commissioners narrowly approved ownership transfer of beer and liquor licenses for a popular Sturgis motorcycle rally site Wednesday afternoon.
Approval of the liquor license gives Glencoe Entertainment LLC the authority to sell on Sundays. That license was transferred from Glencoe CampResort and Rock'N the Rally, a campground and amphitheater east of Sturgis.
Commissioners voted 3-2 to support the motions. Dayle Hammock, Robert Mallow and Gary Cammack favored the transfer. Alan Aker and Doreen Allison-Creed cast dissenting votes.
Aker said he opposed the licenses because some of the land encompassed in the use area is classified as agricultural. He cited the conflicts of commercial use in a designated agriculture setting at an earlier meeting.
"I had some people support the position I gave last time," Aker added. "Nobody tried to change my mind."
Aker earlier this month also expressed concern that the alcohol licenses covered 492 acres. He said he reconsidered and decided that approved applicants should be able to determine their business operations and that an entire property should be considered licensed as a bar.
Cammack said that the business already exists, and it does the same thing every year. He said that made the process straightforward for him.
"We were considering a transfer of a license," Cammack said, explaining his vote. "The considerations are character and location."
County personnel conducted background checks and did not report anything that merited blocking the new applicants from taking over the operation, he said.
Michelle Lamphere manages Glencoe's bar operation and said the food stand, pavilion and nearby patio will serve as on-site sale points. She said that an internal security and management plan will be implemented, and customer identifications will be checked.
In a separate application, the commission granted the retail on-off sale malt beverage application for Daly LLC & Hide Away Lounge near Sturgis.
Action on the license was tabled earlier this month because the business had not paid county property taxes. Auditor Lisa Schieffer said the taxes were paid June 8.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/06/18/news/local/doc4a39ce42aa044398015452.txt?show_comments=true#commentdiv
License transfer passes on narrow margin
By Jason Gross, Meade County Times-Tribune staff | Thursday, June 18, 2009
STURGIS -- Meade County commissioners narrowly approved ownership transfer of beer and liquor licenses for a popular Sturgis motorcycle rally site Wednesday afternoon.
Approval of the liquor license gives Glencoe Entertainment LLC the authority to sell on Sundays. That license was transferred from Glencoe CampResort and Rock'N the Rally, a campground and amphitheater east of Sturgis.
Commissioners voted 3-2 to support the motions. Dayle Hammock, Robert Mallow and Gary Cammack favored the transfer. Alan Aker and Doreen Allison-Creed cast dissenting votes.
Aker said he opposed the licenses because some of the land encompassed in the use area is classified as agricultural. He cited the conflicts of commercial use in a designated agriculture setting at an earlier meeting.
"I had some people support the position I gave last time," Aker added. "Nobody tried to change my mind."
Aker earlier this month also expressed concern that the alcohol licenses covered 492 acres. He said he reconsidered and decided that approved applicants should be able to determine their business operations and that an entire property should be considered licensed as a bar.
Cammack said that the business already exists, and it does the same thing every year. He said that made the process straightforward for him.
"We were considering a transfer of a license," Cammack said, explaining his vote. "The considerations are character and location."
County personnel conducted background checks and did not report anything that merited blocking the new applicants from taking over the operation, he said.
Michelle Lamphere manages Glencoe's bar operation and said the food stand, pavilion and nearby patio will serve as on-site sale points. She said that an internal security and management plan will be implemented, and customer identifications will be checked.
In a separate application, the commission granted the retail on-off sale malt beverage application for Daly LLC & Hide Away Lounge near Sturgis.
Action on the license was tabled earlier this month because the business had not paid county property taxes. Auditor Lisa Schieffer said the taxes were paid June 8.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/06/18/news/local/doc4a39ce42aa044398015452.txt?show_comments=true#commentdiv
Monday, June 15, 2009
Action Needed: To Protect the San Francisco Peaks and Indigenous way of life
For more info please contact Shawn Mulford at shawn@obtpd.org
June 15, 2009
Everyone that honors the Earth,
Thank-you for your previous support to protect the San Francisco Peaks from contamination with treated sewage effluent (reclaimed wastewater). Your action along with thousands of others was felt by the US Forest Service. We would like to ask the indigenous people, environmentalist, skiers, snowboarders and all those that would like to pass on this beautiful mountain to our next generation without being contaminated or destroyed to take the time to send the following letter to President Obama and his administration. Time is of the essence so please submit the letter as soon as you get it. We also ask that you forward this message to everyone on your contact list. Thank you for your continued support on this effort to protect this sacred mountain.
Click on the following link: www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
Fill in your information in the required fields
Subject field select “Other”
Copy and paste the letter below in the Message field
Then Submit
_________________________________________________
Letter to the President for Protection of Indigenous Sacred and Holy Areas
In your recent campaign and acceptance speeches, you have committed to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples of this land. You have committed to addressing the sad history of persecution and oppression of Indigenous peoples and to protect and uphold their sovereign status, their holy and sacred areas, and their spiritual way of life.
In the area of protecting the Earth, you have recently made bold decisions on the issue of our Earth’s daunting challenges of global climate change (e.g., 80% CO2 reduction by 2050). Indigenous peoples have been witnessing and experiencing the impacts of climate change for decades and have persistently called for more aggressive actions. We are concerned that only certain aspects of this massive problem we are all facing – the desecration of the Earth, its resources and subsequently its people—are being addressed. We know that all of Earth’s resources, inhabitants and sacred landscapes are interconnected and cannot be dealt with piece by piece.
Your desire for the United States to lead the world’s effort to find workable technologies to offset the challenges and impacts of climate change is encouraging. To be true to this message that seeks to honor the Earth and those that honor the Earth, we ask that you overturn policies of the last Administration that would allow the destruction of Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks), an indigenous holy and sacred mountain located in what is now northern Arizona. At present, a private company, supported by the previous Administration supports the clearing, grading and use of 1.5 million gallons of treated sewage effluent per day on federal land for recreational purposes. The treated sewage effluent would be used to make snow for recreation on this sacred mountain. Such behavior is intolerable to the indigenous way of life and the natural environment. We can not allow another beautiful natural resource to be destroyed for the next generation.
Thus, to honor and fulfill your commitment to Indigenous peoples of this land, we urge you to:
Do not let the destruction of Dook’o’oosliid continue. We urge you to have the U.S. Attorney General through the Office of Solicitor General to file a brief on behalf of the United States supporting the Indigenous Nations and individual Citizens’ efforts to protect Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) and the Indigenous way of life. Taking the lead and standing with the Indigenous Peoples will result in a cleaner and healthier environment while promoting sustainability. We need you to take bold action and demonstrate your commitment to move from a sad history to a promising future not only for the environment but also the Indigenous Peoples.
Immediately stop all activities that would desecrate and destroy Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) and other holy and sacred areas. Work to amend the special use permit issued by the USDA Forest Service to include measures that protect and strengthen support of traditional, cultural, and ceremonial rites and practices of the Indigenous way of life and the natural environment. The Dook’o’oosliid mountain and its forest have recently been stressed by pine bark beetles widely known to be caused by climate change. Unnecessary activities that further stress this critical and important environment must be stopped.
Meet with Tribal Leaders and Indigenous Spiritual Leaders at the White House to facilitate a fair resolution relating to the governments action on federal lands that will adversely affect access to, ceremonial use of, and physical integrity of Dook’o’oosliid and other sacred and holy places. This White House meeting would fulfill your commitment to having annual meetings with Indigenous peoples. Stopping the desecration of sacred places such as Dook’o’oosliid would go a long way to building trust and strengthening this relationship.
Place individuals in leadership roles at the federal level who are committed to addressing the challenges brought on by global climate change. This global battle against climate change and protection of the environment, including preserving natural snow, must be placed above the U.S. Forest Service’s multi-use policy and the federal government’s interest in profitability of any privately-owned company’s commercial interest on federal lands, especially when these actions are detrimental to the Earth and our future.
Respectfully,
June 15, 2009
Everyone that honors the Earth,
Thank-you for your previous support to protect the San Francisco Peaks from contamination with treated sewage effluent (reclaimed wastewater). Your action along with thousands of others was felt by the US Forest Service. We would like to ask the indigenous people, environmentalist, skiers, snowboarders and all those that would like to pass on this beautiful mountain to our next generation without being contaminated or destroyed to take the time to send the following letter to President Obama and his administration. Time is of the essence so please submit the letter as soon as you get it. We also ask that you forward this message to everyone on your contact list. Thank you for your continued support on this effort to protect this sacred mountain.
Click on the following link: www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
Fill in your information in the required fields
Subject field select “Other”
Copy and paste the letter below in the Message field
Then Submit
_________________________________________________
Letter to the President for Protection of Indigenous Sacred and Holy Areas
In your recent campaign and acceptance speeches, you have committed to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples of this land. You have committed to addressing the sad history of persecution and oppression of Indigenous peoples and to protect and uphold their sovereign status, their holy and sacred areas, and their spiritual way of life.
In the area of protecting the Earth, you have recently made bold decisions on the issue of our Earth’s daunting challenges of global climate change (e.g., 80% CO2 reduction by 2050). Indigenous peoples have been witnessing and experiencing the impacts of climate change for decades and have persistently called for more aggressive actions. We are concerned that only certain aspects of this massive problem we are all facing – the desecration of the Earth, its resources and subsequently its people—are being addressed. We know that all of Earth’s resources, inhabitants and sacred landscapes are interconnected and cannot be dealt with piece by piece.
Your desire for the United States to lead the world’s effort to find workable technologies to offset the challenges and impacts of climate change is encouraging. To be true to this message that seeks to honor the Earth and those that honor the Earth, we ask that you overturn policies of the last Administration that would allow the destruction of Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks), an indigenous holy and sacred mountain located in what is now northern Arizona. At present, a private company, supported by the previous Administration supports the clearing, grading and use of 1.5 million gallons of treated sewage effluent per day on federal land for recreational purposes. The treated sewage effluent would be used to make snow for recreation on this sacred mountain. Such behavior is intolerable to the indigenous way of life and the natural environment. We can not allow another beautiful natural resource to be destroyed for the next generation.
Thus, to honor and fulfill your commitment to Indigenous peoples of this land, we urge you to:
Do not let the destruction of Dook’o’oosliid continue. We urge you to have the U.S. Attorney General through the Office of Solicitor General to file a brief on behalf of the United States supporting the Indigenous Nations and individual Citizens’ efforts to protect Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) and the Indigenous way of life. Taking the lead and standing with the Indigenous Peoples will result in a cleaner and healthier environment while promoting sustainability. We need you to take bold action and demonstrate your commitment to move from a sad history to a promising future not only for the environment but also the Indigenous Peoples.
Immediately stop all activities that would desecrate and destroy Dook’o’oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) and other holy and sacred areas. Work to amend the special use permit issued by the USDA Forest Service to include measures that protect and strengthen support of traditional, cultural, and ceremonial rites and practices of the Indigenous way of life and the natural environment. The Dook’o’oosliid mountain and its forest have recently been stressed by pine bark beetles widely known to be caused by climate change. Unnecessary activities that further stress this critical and important environment must be stopped.
Meet with Tribal Leaders and Indigenous Spiritual Leaders at the White House to facilitate a fair resolution relating to the governments action on federal lands that will adversely affect access to, ceremonial use of, and physical integrity of Dook’o’oosliid and other sacred and holy places. This White House meeting would fulfill your commitment to having annual meetings with Indigenous peoples. Stopping the desecration of sacred places such as Dook’o’oosliid would go a long way to building trust and strengthening this relationship.
Place individuals in leadership roles at the federal level who are committed to addressing the challenges brought on by global climate change. This global battle against climate change and protection of the environment, including preserving natural snow, must be placed above the U.S. Forest Service’s multi-use policy and the federal government’s interest in profitability of any privately-owned company’s commercial interest on federal lands, especially when these actions are detrimental to the Earth and our future.
Respectfully,
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Q & A: Artifact theft bust
Q & A: Artifact theft bust
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/11/2009 12:12:20 PM MDT
How did the investigation work?
The FBI and the BLM, concerned about looting on public and American Indian lands, developed a relationship with a major dealer in archaeological artifacts. For months, this dealer --identified only as the "Source" -- bought and sold artifacts from the Four Corners area while wearing a recording device. The undercover investigation was dubbed Cerberus Action, after the multi-headed dog of mythology who guards the realm of the dead.
What kinds of artifacts were swiped?
The 256 relics include ceramic figurines, a mug, bowls, seed jars, a clovis point, stone pipes, stone metate, ancient sandals, a hafted ax, a gourd necklace, a shell necklace, beads, an effigy bird pendant, a copper bracelet, a turkey feather blanket, knives and polishing stones.
How valuable are they?
The dealer bought them for $335,685. But scientists and law-enforcement officials say they are priceless cultural treasures.
Were any of the artifacts damaged?
Experts say the mere act of improperly excavating an archaeological site leads to the loss of significant historical information. Authorities have promised to take proper care of the recovered relics.
What's next?
Prosecutors have asked that all but one of the 24 defendants be released pending trial. A hearing on a request that Aubry Patterson be detained is scheduled for this morning. The defendants have been ordered to make reasonable efforts to protect artifacts in their possession from damage until their cases are resolved.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12565763
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/11/2009 12:12:20 PM MDT
How did the investigation work?
The FBI and the BLM, concerned about looting on public and American Indian lands, developed a relationship with a major dealer in archaeological artifacts. For months, this dealer --identified only as the "Source" -- bought and sold artifacts from the Four Corners area while wearing a recording device. The undercover investigation was dubbed Cerberus Action, after the multi-headed dog of mythology who guards the realm of the dead.
What kinds of artifacts were swiped?
The 256 relics include ceramic figurines, a mug, bowls, seed jars, a clovis point, stone pipes, stone metate, ancient sandals, a hafted ax, a gourd necklace, a shell necklace, beads, an effigy bird pendant, a copper bracelet, a turkey feather blanket, knives and polishing stones.
How valuable are they?
The dealer bought them for $335,685. But scientists and law-enforcement officials say they are priceless cultural treasures.
Were any of the artifacts damaged?
Experts say the mere act of improperly excavating an archaeological site leads to the loss of significant historical information. Authorities have promised to take proper care of the recovered relics.
What's next?
Prosecutors have asked that all but one of the 24 defendants be released pending trial. A hearing on a request that Aubry Patterson be detained is scheduled for this morning. The defendants have been ordered to make reasonable efforts to protect artifacts in their possession from damage until their cases are resolved.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12565763
Artifact theft suspect found dead near Blanding
Artifact theft suspect found dead near Blanding
Previous charges » James Redd was accused, acquitted in trespassing on Indian sites in the 1990s.
By Nate Carlisle And Patty Henetz
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/11/2009 08:12:26 PM MDT
A Blanding physician indicted this week with stealing or selling American Indian artifacts has been found dead.
James Redd, 60, who was prosecuted more than a decade ago in state court for robbing an ancient Indian grave, was found on his property near Blanding, according to law enforcement sources.
Few details, including Redd's cause of death, were immediately available, and the sources asked not be named until the San Juan County Sheriff's Office makes an official announcement.
On Wednesday, Redd was charged with one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property as a co-defendant with his wife, Jeanne Redd , 59, who faces two counts. The Redds were among 24 suspects from Utah, Colorado and New Mexico
James Redd
charged with felonies for allegedly trafficking in Four Corners-area archaeological artifacts protected under federal law.
Court papers say that in September 2007Jeanne Redd possessed with intent to sell ancient relics including a black and white ceramic mug, a hafted ax, a gourd necklace and an effigy bird pendant. Each of the artifacts was valued at more than $1,000.
Jeanne Redd also was accused of swapping two stone pendants for two other stone pendants valued at more than $500. In October 2008, she allegedly sold four sandals valued at more than $1,000.
Federal agents, who tapped a confidential informant identified only as the "Source" to buy and sell artifacts, spent two years building the case against the Redds and the others 22 others indicted in the theft and sale of more than 250 items, many of them sacred, from burial sites and other areas in the Four Corners region.
The Redds have been accused before of trespassing on Indian burial sites. In 2003, they agreed to pay the state $10,000 after they were prosecuted for raiding a grave. The payment settled a $250,000 lawsuit brought against them by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration.
Before the payment, the Redds were charged with desecration of a corpse, a felony, after a sheriff's deputy observed them and some of their children digging at an Indian burial site in Cottonwood Wash near Bluff in January 1996. After a long legal battle -- in which district court judges three times dismissed charges that were later reinstated by the Utah Court of Appeals or the Utah Supreme Court --Jeanne Redd pleaded no contest to a reduced charge. Charges against James Redd were dropped.
The federal investigation revealed Wednesday involved special agents from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the FBI. U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman said the investigation is ongoing.
Most of the suspects are from San Juan County; three are from Durango, Colo.; and one from Albuquerque, N.M.
The informant, who was crucial to building the federal case, was wired with an audio-visual recorder when buying ancient baby blankets, stone pipes, seed jars, and sandals from the suspects, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed Wednesday.
That warrant was for evidence gathered on San Juan High teacher David Lacy, a brother of San Juan County Sheriff Mike Lacy.
Tolman's spokeswoman, Melodie Rydalch, said Thursday none of the other affidavits had been unsealed yet.
The undercover purchases cost $335,685, Tolman said Wednesday. But new Bureau of Indian Affairs head Larry EchoHawk, a former Brigham Young University law professor, said that was just the prices put on the artifacts during the illegal transactions, not their true worth.
"These articles are really priceless," EchoHawk said during a news conference in Salt Lake City. "You can't put a dollar figure on them."
The Redds were among the 21 defendants freed Wednesday after initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Samuel Alba in Grand County.
A 78-year-old member of the Utah Tourism Hall of Fame, Harold J. Lyman of Blanding, entered a plea of not guilty Thursday to trafficking in stolen artifacts.
ncarlisle@sltrib.com
phenetz@sltrib.com
Reporter Erin Alberty contributed to this story.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12572033
Previous charges » James Redd was accused, acquitted in trespassing on Indian sites in the 1990s.
By Nate Carlisle And Patty Henetz
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/11/2009 08:12:26 PM MDT
A Blanding physician indicted this week with stealing or selling American Indian artifacts has been found dead.
James Redd, 60, who was prosecuted more than a decade ago in state court for robbing an ancient Indian grave, was found on his property near Blanding, according to law enforcement sources.
Few details, including Redd's cause of death, were immediately available, and the sources asked not be named until the San Juan County Sheriff's Office makes an official announcement.
On Wednesday, Redd was charged with one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property as a co-defendant with his wife, Jeanne Redd , 59, who faces two counts. The Redds were among 24 suspects from Utah, Colorado and New Mexico
James Redd
charged with felonies for allegedly trafficking in Four Corners-area archaeological artifacts protected under federal law.
Court papers say that in September 2007Jeanne Redd possessed with intent to sell ancient relics including a black and white ceramic mug, a hafted ax, a gourd necklace and an effigy bird pendant. Each of the artifacts was valued at more than $1,000.
Jeanne Redd also was accused of swapping two stone pendants for two other stone pendants valued at more than $500. In October 2008, she allegedly sold four sandals valued at more than $1,000.
Federal agents, who tapped a confidential informant identified only as the "Source" to buy and sell artifacts, spent two years building the case against the Redds and the others 22 others indicted in the theft and sale of more than 250 items, many of them sacred, from burial sites and other areas in the Four Corners region.
The Redds have been accused before of trespassing on Indian burial sites. In 2003, they agreed to pay the state $10,000 after they were prosecuted for raiding a grave. The payment settled a $250,000 lawsuit brought against them by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration.
Before the payment, the Redds were charged with desecration of a corpse, a felony, after a sheriff's deputy observed them and some of their children digging at an Indian burial site in Cottonwood Wash near Bluff in January 1996. After a long legal battle -- in which district court judges three times dismissed charges that were later reinstated by the Utah Court of Appeals or the Utah Supreme Court --Jeanne Redd pleaded no contest to a reduced charge. Charges against James Redd were dropped.
The federal investigation revealed Wednesday involved special agents from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the FBI. U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman said the investigation is ongoing.
Most of the suspects are from San Juan County; three are from Durango, Colo.; and one from Albuquerque, N.M.
The informant, who was crucial to building the federal case, was wired with an audio-visual recorder when buying ancient baby blankets, stone pipes, seed jars, and sandals from the suspects, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed Wednesday.
That warrant was for evidence gathered on San Juan High teacher David Lacy, a brother of San Juan County Sheriff Mike Lacy.
Tolman's spokeswoman, Melodie Rydalch, said Thursday none of the other affidavits had been unsealed yet.
The undercover purchases cost $335,685, Tolman said Wednesday. But new Bureau of Indian Affairs head Larry EchoHawk, a former Brigham Young University law professor, said that was just the prices put on the artifacts during the illegal transactions, not their true worth.
"These articles are really priceless," EchoHawk said during a news conference in Salt Lake City. "You can't put a dollar figure on them."
The Redds were among the 21 defendants freed Wednesday after initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Samuel Alba in Grand County.
A 78-year-old member of the Utah Tourism Hall of Fame, Harold J. Lyman of Blanding, entered a plea of not guilty Thursday to trafficking in stolen artifacts.
ncarlisle@sltrib.com
phenetz@sltrib.com
Reporter Erin Alberty contributed to this story.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12572033
A breakdown of the artifact theft charges
A breakdown of the artifact theft charges
The Salt Lake Tribune
Richard Raymond Bourret , one felony count of violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), one felony count depredation of government property
Brent Bullock , 61, Moab, three felony counts of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property
Carl Lavern Crites , 74, Durango, Colo., two felony counts of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property, one felony count depredation of government property. Crites is a collector and dealer of American Indian items. According to an online catalog of the Omaha Auction Center, his red clay Anasazi pot, claimed to be about 800 years old, sold for $200 in a February sale. A Web site for HD Enterprises, a dealer of historic artifacts, advertises five necklaces for $300, made from "prehistoric" shell disk beads found in La Plata Canyon, N.M., with paperwork by Crites. According to a Vanderbilt University television news archive, Crites was interviewed in a 1987 NBC news story in which American Indian pottery collectors criticized the tactics of federal agents searching for Indian artifacts stolen from government land.
Marie Virginia Crites , 68, Durango, Colo., two felony counts of theft of government property
Tad Kreth , 30, Blanding , seven felony counts of violating ARPA, three felony counts of theft of government property, two felony counts of theft of Indian tribal property
David A. Lacy , 55, Blanding. Lacy, a high school teacher and brother of San Juan County Sheriff Mike Lacy, was charged with four felony counts of violating ARPA, three felony counts of theft of government property, two misdemeanor counts of violating the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)
Brandon Laws , 38, Blanding, one felony count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property. Laws has previous misdemeanor convictions for drug possession and auto theft.
Nicholas K. Laws , 30, Blanding, two felony counts of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property.
Reese Laws , 27, Blanding, three felony counts of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property
Dale J. Lyman , 73, Blanding, three felony counts of violating ARPA
Harold J. Lyman , 78, Blanding, one felony count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property. Lyman recently was inducted into the Utah Tourism Hall of Fame. Lyman works at the Blanding Visitors Center and helped establish the "Trail of the Ancients," a scenic byway taking motorists past Indian cites in Utah and Colorado. Lyman did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Raymond J. Lyman , 70, Blanding, two felony counts of violating ARPA.
Aubry Patterson , 55, Blanding, four felony counts of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property.
Jeanne H. Redd , 59, Blanding, two felony counts of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property, three felony counts of theft of Indian tribal property.
James D. Redd , 60, Blanding, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property.
The Redds have been in the spotlight before for trespassing on American Indian burial sites. In 2003, they agreed to pay the state $10,000 after they were prosecuted criminally for raiding a burial state. The payment settled a $250,000 lawsuit brought against them by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Before the payment, the Redds were charged with desecration of a corpse, a felony, after a sheriff's deputy observed them and some of their children digging at an Indian burial site in Cottonwood Wash near Bluff in January 1996. After a protracted legal battle -- in which district court judges three times dismissed charges that were later reinstated by the Utah Court of Appeals or the Utah Supreme Court -- Jeanne Redd pleaded no contest to a reduced charge and charges against James Redd, a physician, were dropped.
Steven L. Shrader, 56, Durango, Colo., two felony counts of theft of government property.
Kevin W. Shumway , 55, Blanding, eight felony counts of violating ARPA, five felony counts of theft of government property, two misdemeanor counts of violating NAGPRA.
Tammy Shumway , 39, Blanding, three felony counts of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property. In May, Shumway pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance. Court records indicate Shumway was in possession of methamphetamine. In 2000, she was convicted of falsely making a financial transaction, a third-degree felony.
Sharon Evette Shumway , 41, Blanding, one felony count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property.
Joseph M. Smith , 31, Blanding, 17 felony counts of violating ARPA, eight felony counts of theft of government property, two felony counts of theft of Indian tribal property, one misdemeanor count of theft of Indian tribal property.
Meredith Smith , 34, Blanding, one felony count of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property, one count of misdemeanor theft of Indian tribal property. According to her profile on Classmates.com, Smith works as a paralegal and coordinates legal assistance for victims of domestic violence.
Rulon Kody Sommerville , 47, Monticello, one felony count of violating ARPA, one misdemeanor count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property.
Loran St. Claire , 47, Monticello, one felony count of violating ARPA, one misdemeanor count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property.
David Waite , 61, Albuquerque, N.M., charged with one felony count each of violating ARPA, transportation of stolen property and theft of government property.
Scott Sherman, Erin Alberty, Melinda Rogers and Nate Carlisle contributed to this story.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12565834
The Salt Lake Tribune
Richard Raymond Bourret , one felony count of violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), one felony count depredation of government property
Brent Bullock , 61, Moab, three felony counts of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property
Carl Lavern Crites , 74, Durango, Colo., two felony counts of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property, one felony count depredation of government property. Crites is a collector and dealer of American Indian items. According to an online catalog of the Omaha Auction Center, his red clay Anasazi pot, claimed to be about 800 years old, sold for $200 in a February sale. A Web site for HD Enterprises, a dealer of historic artifacts, advertises five necklaces for $300, made from "prehistoric" shell disk beads found in La Plata Canyon, N.M., with paperwork by Crites. According to a Vanderbilt University television news archive, Crites was interviewed in a 1987 NBC news story in which American Indian pottery collectors criticized the tactics of federal agents searching for Indian artifacts stolen from government land.
Marie Virginia Crites , 68, Durango, Colo., two felony counts of theft of government property
Tad Kreth , 30, Blanding , seven felony counts of violating ARPA, three felony counts of theft of government property, two felony counts of theft of Indian tribal property
David A. Lacy , 55, Blanding. Lacy, a high school teacher and brother of San Juan County Sheriff Mike Lacy, was charged with four felony counts of violating ARPA, three felony counts of theft of government property, two misdemeanor counts of violating the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)
Brandon Laws , 38, Blanding, one felony count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property. Laws has previous misdemeanor convictions for drug possession and auto theft.
Nicholas K. Laws , 30, Blanding, two felony counts of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property.
Reese Laws , 27, Blanding, three felony counts of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property
Dale J. Lyman , 73, Blanding, three felony counts of violating ARPA
Harold J. Lyman , 78, Blanding, one felony count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property. Lyman recently was inducted into the Utah Tourism Hall of Fame. Lyman works at the Blanding Visitors Center and helped establish the "Trail of the Ancients," a scenic byway taking motorists past Indian cites in Utah and Colorado. Lyman did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Raymond J. Lyman , 70, Blanding, two felony counts of violating ARPA.
Aubry Patterson , 55, Blanding, four felony counts of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property.
Jeanne H. Redd , 59, Blanding, two felony counts of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property, three felony counts of theft of Indian tribal property.
James D. Redd , 60, Blanding, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property.
The Redds have been in the spotlight before for trespassing on American Indian burial sites. In 2003, they agreed to pay the state $10,000 after they were prosecuted criminally for raiding a burial state. The payment settled a $250,000 lawsuit brought against them by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Before the payment, the Redds were charged with desecration of a corpse, a felony, after a sheriff's deputy observed them and some of their children digging at an Indian burial site in Cottonwood Wash near Bluff in January 1996. After a protracted legal battle -- in which district court judges three times dismissed charges that were later reinstated by the Utah Court of Appeals or the Utah Supreme Court -- Jeanne Redd pleaded no contest to a reduced charge and charges against James Redd, a physician, were dropped.
Steven L. Shrader, 56, Durango, Colo., two felony counts of theft of government property.
Kevin W. Shumway , 55, Blanding, eight felony counts of violating ARPA, five felony counts of theft of government property, two misdemeanor counts of violating NAGPRA.
Tammy Shumway , 39, Blanding, three felony counts of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property. In May, Shumway pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance. Court records indicate Shumway was in possession of methamphetamine. In 2000, she was convicted of falsely making a financial transaction, a third-degree felony.
Sharon Evette Shumway , 41, Blanding, one felony count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of government property.
Joseph M. Smith , 31, Blanding, 17 felony counts of violating ARPA, eight felony counts of theft of government property, two felony counts of theft of Indian tribal property, one misdemeanor count of theft of Indian tribal property.
Meredith Smith , 34, Blanding, one felony count of violating ARPA, two felony counts of theft of government property, one count of misdemeanor theft of Indian tribal property. According to her profile on Classmates.com, Smith works as a paralegal and coordinates legal assistance for victims of domestic violence.
Rulon Kody Sommerville , 47, Monticello, one felony count of violating ARPA, one misdemeanor count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property.
Loran St. Claire , 47, Monticello, one felony count of violating ARPA, one misdemeanor count of violating ARPA, one felony count of theft of Indian tribal property.
David Waite , 61, Albuquerque, N.M., charged with one felony count each of violating ARPA, transportation of stolen property and theft of government property.
Scott Sherman, Erin Alberty, Melinda Rogers and Nate Carlisle contributed to this story.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12565834
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