13 arrested for state artifact theft

Wide-scale looting is 'irrevocably destroying the history of the state'
A two-year undercover investigation by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers culminated Wednesday with the arrest of 13 people suspected of plundering up to $2 million in state archaeological artifacts.
Those arrested and charged with more than 400 felony violations for looting and dealing in stolen artifacts taken from around the state include Nathan A. Curtis and Terry Tinsley, both of Havana. The other suspects were from elsewhere in Florida. Two live in Georgia and were arrested there.
“This looting incident didn’t just take artifacts out of the ground, it took history away from this generation and future generations of Florida,” Robert Bendus, the state’s historic preservation officer, said at a Wednesday news conference.
FWC Maj. Curtis Brown said the investigation began after numerous complaints in the last several years about pervasive looting on state lands and waters rich in Paleo-Indian artifacts, Brown said. There are 191,000 identified archaeological and historic sites in Florida, many in the north Florida region.
Undercover FWC officers infiltrated the suspected ring after attending an artifact trade show.

“We left there, being able to go on an illegal dig on state lands and were offered for sale multiple stolen items,” Brown said. “This is not a family or a hiker out there who finds an arrowhead. We did not target those kinds of people. We were targeting the main dealers and looters who are driving this market.”
Those charged in the conspiracy are accused of stealing and selling artifacts such as pots and stone tools. The items were then sold online, at trade shows or on the black market, Brown said. Some items were being peddled for as much as $100,000 a piece.
“Some of the sites that were targeted are destroyed. They are completely decimated,” Brown said.
Investigators said the tight-knit group has been active for a “long time,” but they will know more after examining computer files and other evidence also collected Wednesday. Some of the suspects are said to have looted the artifacts from remote areas — likely with small tools and lamps in the dark — then passed their plunder onto dealers who sold the ill-gotten goods.


 http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20130228/NEWS01/302280037/13-arrested-for-state-artifact-theft?gcheck=1