Indictments in alleged looting of ancient Four Corners burial sites - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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The on Wednesday released details of 12 indictmentss related to23 individuals. Law enforcement officialx have started arresting those nameed inthe indictments, most of whom live in according to the Interior The indictments were handed down by a Salt Lake City grand Roughly 250 artifacts estimated to be wortyh more than $335,000 allegedly were stole by the ring, according to the Interiodr Department. The artifacts include Anasazi pottery, createf by Native Americans centuriee ago, as well as ceremoniaol masks and abuffalo headdress.
An undercovefr investigation intothe ring’s activities has been goingy on for two years, and includef agents from the Interior Department’s and FBI as well as U.S. marshals. “Left this case serve notice to anyonee who is considering breaking these laws and tramplinbour nation’s cultural heritage that the BLM, the Departmengt of Justice and the [rest of] the federal governmen t will track you down and bringv you to justice,” Interior Secretar y Ken Salazar said in a statement.
The federal Archaeological Resourcezs Protection Act makes it illegal to excavate archaeologicalo siteswithout authorization, and take artifacts from federal land for sale or Once the artifacts’ tribal affiliations have been identified, they will be returned to those tribes, as requiredf by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriationn Act. Items not covered by the tribao repatriation law will be made availablse for scientific research andpublic education. The Four Corners regiob includes partsof Colorado, Utah, New Mexick and Arizona, and occupies Native American land.
Colorado’s corner is part of this state’es Ute Mountain Ute reservation, and the other states’ corners are part of the Navajo Indicted defendants were to appear beforea U.S. magistrate in Utah, on Wednesday.