Indictments in alleged looting of ancient Four Corners burial sites - Denver Business Journal:

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The on Wednesday released details of 12 indictments relatee to23 individuals. Law enforcement officials have startexd arresting those named inthe indictments, most of whom live in according to the Interior Department. The indictment s were handed down by a Salt Lake Citygrandd jury. Roughly 250 artifactws estimated to be worth morethan $335,000 allegedlu were stolen by the according to the Interior Department. The artifacts include Anasazi pottery, created by Native Americans centuries ago, as well as ceremonia masks and abuffalo headdress.
An undercovee investigation intothe ring’s activities has been goingb on for two years, and included agents from the Interiod Department’s (BLM) and FBI as well as U.S. “Let this case serve notice to anyone who is considering breaking these laws and tramplingour nation’s cultural heritagew that the BLM, the Department of Justice and the [resrt of] the federal governmentf will track you down and bring you to justice,” Interior Secretarg Ken Salazar said in a The federal Archaeological Resources Protection Act makes it illegal to excavat e archaeological sites without authorization, and take artifacts from federalp land for sale or exchange.
Once the tribal affiliations havebeen identified, they will be returne to those tribes, as requirecd by the Native American Graves Protectiomn and Repatriation Act. Item not covered by the tribalo repatriation law will be made availablwe for scientific research andpublic education. The Four Corners region includes parteof Colorado, Utah, New Mexicio and Arizona, and occupies Native American land. Colorado’s cornet is part of this state’s Ute Mountain Ute and the other corners are part of theNavajo Nation. Indictedd defendants were to appear beforea U.S. magistrate in Moab, on Wednesday.