FBI seizes trove of cultural artifacts at 91-year-old Indiana mans home

mangum · Apr 3, 2014

FBI seizes trove of cultural artifacts at 91-year-old Indiana man's home

I would like to get more details about this story. I guess the government can just come & seize your whole collection if they want to. Don't they have anything better to do? This makes me wary of posting anything good here on Tnet.

FBI seizes trove of cultural artifacts at 91-year-old Indiana man's home | Fox News

Tom_in_CA · Apr 3, 2014

reply

mangum, thanx for the link. Interesting

There must be more to it though. I mean, this isn't a "bad omen" for the poor soul who has a stamp collection, coin collection, or a few arrowheads around his house. Even the article itself acknowledges that it's just certain things that were illegaly bought or spirited out of other countries, etc.... Ie.: not just a blanket "can't have cultural artifacts" type of thing.

Treasure_Hunter · Apr 3, 2014

Article i read states they could have been aquired legally before laws were changed..

American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

WilliamBoyd · Apr 3, 2014

WISH-TV reported that Miller was also a local teacher and was involved in the
Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb during World War II.

"Indiana Miller"?

mangum · Apr 3, 2014

From another source -
"The aim of the investigation is to determine what each artifact is, where it came from and how Miller obtained it, Jones said, to determine whether some of the items might be illegal to possess privately."

So, it sounds like they don't even know if anything was obtained illegally. No charges have been made. Unfortunately by the time they go through everything the guy will probably be gone (he is 91 years old). Eight decades to put together a collection - taken away in a day. Tom, I agree we really have nothing to worry about but it's the principle. If I had the $ I can tell you that I would have quite the collection...

fmfdoc · Apr 3, 2014

mangum said:
From another source -
"The aim of the investigation is to determine what each artifact is, where it came from and how Miller obtained it, Jones said, to determine whether some of the items might be illegal to possess privately."

So, it sounds like they don't even know if anything was obtained illegally. No charges have been made. Unfortunately by the time they go through everything the guy will probably be gone (he is 91 years old). Eight decades to put together a collection - taken away in a day. Tom, I agree we really have nothing to worry about but it's the principle. If I had the $ I can tell you that I would have quite the collection...

I have to agree that this is pretty pathetic, of our Gov't. To search and seize, with no proof or charges, is NOT right. It does set a precedence, tho: Think- in a court of law, lawyers will ague whenever the Feds are challenged- "It was allowed in THIHS case, so, we can keep doing it". :sadsmiley:

A_Sly1_U · Apr 3, 2014

I think the big push is by the native americans. They found a way to steal a collection better than most museums have.

gusser · Apr 3, 2014

What 4th amendment? Gun collections soon to follow.

Treasure_Hunter · Apr 3, 2014

Keep politics out of thread please..
.

American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

voodoo · Apr 3, 2014

interesting story. time for me read up on it.

NHBandit · Apr 3, 2014

This is the problem with ever changing laws. This man found things under existing laws back when it was fine to pick things up off the ground without written permission from every government agency in existence worldwide and when there were no requirements for documenting every purchase & every find with 3 witnesses, a priest and a lawyer present. Here come the jackboots trying to impose todays laws on things that were collected LEGALLY at the time. This should be prime time news and every citizen of this country should be outraged.

empty_pockets · Apr 3, 2014

Feds Probe Tribal Artifacts Market - CBS News

Jeremy S · Apr 3, 2014

Just like this hobby, artifact collectors can be some shady people. I would say there might be more to the story than the news is telling us.

smokeythecat · Apr 3, 2014

"repatriate" = steal. No doubt about it. Maybe I should lay claim to a lot of land our family owned across the "pond" a few hundred years ago. Whaddya think?

cw0909 · Apr 3, 2014

yea i think more to the story to

The site appears to be the location of Wyman Research, 8339 S 850 W, a small consumer electronics business. It was unclear whether Wyman is still operating as a business, but a large faded Wyman Research sign was noticeable on one of several buildings on the property.
Several tan dome tents had been erected in the back of building.
Federal Agents Descend On Home In Rural Indiana « CBS Chicago
---------------------
Dr. Don Miller, Hank Cantrell, and Farrell Winder developed and tested the MIR SSTV System. Four systems were built at Don's Wyman Research, Inc. facility. Miles Mann arranged to deliver the systems to Russia, and traveled there to train the Cosmonauts in how to operate the equipment.
http://www.marexmg.org/fileshtml/team.html

Advance Indiana?: Seriously, The FBI Devoted Massive Resources To Seize A 91-Year Old Man's Private Collection Of Artifacts?

Jeremy S · Apr 3, 2014

Maybe he was digging artifacts out of an Indian mound by a GE plant in Evansville, IN? The news stories that I have read look rather unreliable.

Tnmountains · Apr 3, 2014

Well they have managed to ruin this mans amazing life on a whim. If he lives long enough to get it back it will have been pillaged.

Tnmountains · Apr 3, 2014

Native Americans have no claim to it. They do not own the tools of the thousands of ancient cultures. Be like my relatives saying in 50 years that every hammer found belonged to them because I used a hammer in my life.

I doubt a 91 year old man was out digging burials but if he was …he has just lost everything.