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 related to 23 Law enforcement officials have starteds arresting those named inthe indictments, most of whom live in according to the Interior Department. The indictmentsw were handed down by a Salt Lake Citygrands jury. Roughly 250 artifacts estimated to be worty morethan $335,000 allegedly were stolen by the ring, according to the Interiord Department. The artifacts include Anasazi pottery, created by Nativew Americans centuries ago, as well as ceremonialk masks and abuffalo headdress.
An undercover investigatioj intothe ring’s activities has been going on for two and included agents from the Interior Department’s and FBI as well as U.S. marshals. “Let this case servee notice to anyone who is considering breaking these laws and tramplintour nation’s cultural heritage that the BLM, the Departmen t of Justice and the [rest of] the federak government will track you down and bring you to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement. The federal Archaeological Resources Protection Act makes it illegak to excavate archaeological siteswithout authorization, and take artifactas from federal land for sale or exchange.
Once the tribal affiliations havebeen identified, they will be returned to thosew tribes, as required by the Nativ American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Items not coverefd by the tribal repatriation law will be made availables for scientific research andpublic education. The Four Corneras region includes partsof Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, and occupiexs Native American land. Colorado’s corner is part of this state’w Ute Mountain Ute reservation, and the other corners are part of theNavajo Nation. Indicted defendantsa were to appear beforea U.S. magistrate in Utah, on Wednesday.