FWC officers and investigators served four search warrants and arrested 13 suspects.

[SorryDangDog]

A total of close to $2 million in historic Native American pots, arrowheads and other tools were seized yesterday as FWC officers and investigators served four search warrants and arrested 13 suspects. The individuals, from across the state from the Keys to the panhandle, face over 400 felony charges after the two-year undercover investigation was completed. Many of the illegally obtained artifacts were offered for sale online or at trade shows. The asking prices for some of the looted pieces were as much as $100,000. The FWC worked closely with the Department of State on this case. Artifacts are a finite, nonrenewable resource. When they are taken, destroyed or stored in private collections without being documented, they, and the history they represent, are gone forever. FWC worked to stop these activities and hopefully prevent future losses to the state’s quality of life, history, economy and cultural resources. See the more artifacts recovered and the media conference in our Flickr photos here: Operation Timucua: Illegal Artifacts Investigation - a set on Flickr

Operation Timucua: Illegal Artifacts Investigation - a set on Flickr — Undercover Investigation = 400 Felony Charges (9 photos)

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

There is legal buying/selling/trading of indian items ........ all the time. All one has to do is say that their item has been in collections from time-gone-by (ie.: "it got passed down to me from my grandmother" or whatever). I wonder how these fellows ran-afoul of selling their stuff? I mean, what did they do: blurt out and advertise "we found these at off-limits sites"?

I'm glad that metal items (coins, relics, etc...) don't have NEARLY the scrutiny of pre-history indian stuff. Not nearly the bruhaha for white-man stuff (no one cares about us, haha), that there is for the indian stuff. And thank goodness

 

[62dold]

Be very careful what you find. I'm sure the I R S monitor this site. They need more revenue to pay for there "junkit! "