Texas man going to prison for illegally digging artifacts on Federal land

Kantuckkeean

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Surprised he didn't get more time, he knew it was illegal and bragged about it. Can we spell idiot!
 

It seems that most just get a slap on the wrist basically for looting sites.

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[TD="class: title, align: left"]Looters Jailed[/TD]
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[TD="class: text, colspan: 2, align: left"]by Ike Kelley[/TD]
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[FONT=arial !important]John N. Walker and Jeffrey S. Blevins pleaded guilty in federal district court in Richmond, Virginia, to one felony count each of conspiracy to violate the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) and were sentenced to four and five months in prison, respectively. They were arrested last April at Petersburg National Battlefield, a protected Civil War site in Virginia. In their possession were metal detectors, entrenching tools, and freshly dug artifacts. Search warrants and interviews led to the recovery of more than 2,000 looted Civil War artifacts from the two men, the largest ARPA violation on record.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]After their release, the two will serve a year's probation, including a term of home incarceration equivalent to their jail time, to be monitored electronically. Substance-abuse treatment was ordered for Blevins. Each man was ordered to pay $25,467.08 in damages to the Department of the Interior, plus $100 to a crime victims' fund. In handing down the sentence, Judge Richard L. Williams observed that "Civil War buffs are a cult all their own," adding that he hoped "all those buffs who have a craving for artifacts [would] be tempered in the future" and that the sentences would deter those who wished "to invade protected territory."[/FONT]
Ike Kelley is with the National Park Service.
 

So much is destroyed by the greedy and ignorant. :-(

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Never understood the need to post illegal activity on the internet… then they are surprised when they get caught
 

that is pretty wild. You have to wonder about someone like that.
 

I believe this guy was on Arrowheadology for all of about 2 days before we banned him for posting pictures and bragging about digging on public land.

Sad thing is that was probably 5+ years ago and he obviously didn't slow down.
 

Yup, manure for brains...

 

I believe this guy was on Arrowheadology for all of about 2 days before we banned him for posting pictures and bragging about digging on public land.

Sad thing is that was probably 5+ years ago and he obviously didn't slow down.

I wondered if that could be the same guy. Arrogant.

Crazy that anyone would do that considering how much legal digging opportunity we have in Texas.
 

I believe this guy was on Arrowheadology for all of about 2 days before we banned him for posting pictures and bragging about digging on public land.

Sad thing is that was probably 5+ years ago and he obviously didn't slow down.

I wondered if that could be the same guy. Arrogant.

Crazy that anyone would do that considering how much legal digging opportunity we have in Texas.

Yes, on Arrowheadology, a guy named Jeff if memory serves me correctly. He was also posting pics of himself (and his girlfriend) smoking pot as they were poaching artifacts. What an idiot!
 

Who was that guy on here on Tnet who was from the same area as this guy and was posting up literally hundreds, if not thousands of arrowheads he claimed he was digging up on his own land. It seemed implausible to me at the time.

That was me. Why you think that was implausable? No where near the same area either.

You are aware I power screen and dig with a skidsteer, right? Surely you dont think i could set up an illegal mining operation on public land now do you?
 

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Gar, I think the issue was you showed us all these amazing points and at first told just a little about your technique. It was old hat to you but blew us away! Once you explained how you operate it was clear you had a great way to uncover artifacts that most never would be able to duplicate using common methods. Still I don't think any of us thought you were on public land. You were clear it was your property & purchased knowing it had abundant artifacts. Show us some more please.
 

Surely you dont think i could set up an illegal mining operation on public land now do you?

I didn't know that was you, but also, i don't truly know you as you are but an online avatar with a crafted online persona (as are we all). Out of respect, i have deleted my comment as i do not want it to be interpreted that i was accusing you of any crimes, But to answer your question in general terms, definitely plausible that anyone could be viewed by their friends and peers as a stand up guy yet commit crimes that no one would ever suspect them of (and to clarify, i'm not accusing you of any wrongdoing, my comment was just a generalized recollection about someone finding 1000's of arrowheads in the same area and it seemed implausible to me at the time).

In just 11 years in Law Enforcement, i arrested a Medical Research Doctor from the Mayo Clinic, stealing of all things, kids toys. I arrested a prostitute, who's mother turned out to be the assistant county attorney. I arrested two high school teachers who were not only lovers and taught at the same school, but were running a theft ring that boosted goods from retail stores and sold them on ebay. I arrested a meth head who used to be a Emergency room registered nurse, with a house, two kids and husband, she lost them all when she became addicted to meth. So, yes, in my experience, you never truly know people and anyone is capable of most anything.
 

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I didn't know that was you, but also, i don't truly know you as you are but an online avatar with a crafted online persona (as are we all). But to answer your question, definitely plausible that anyone could be viewed by their friends and peers as a stand up guy yet commit crimes that no one would ever suspect them of (and to clarify, i'm not accusing you of any wrongdoing, i know absolutely nothing about you or that it was even "you", my comment was just a generalized recollection about someone finding 1000's of arrowheads in the same area).

In just 11 years in Law Enforcement, i arrested a Medical Research Doctor from the Mayo Clinic, stealing of all things, kids toys. I arrested a prostitute, who's mother turned out to be the assistant county attorney. I arrested two high school teachers who were not only lovers and taught at the same school, but were running a theft ring that boosted goods from retail stores and sold them on ebay. I arrested a meth head who used to be a Emergency room registered nurse, with a house, two kids and husband, she lost them all when she became addicted to meth. So, yes, in my experience, you never truly know people and anyone is capable of most anything.
I get what you are saying but your common sense would tell you that I wouldnt pull a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of equipment out on land where I had no legal right to be and zero chance of going unnoticed. Also, that guy was 500 miles from me.
 

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I have a friend in texas who pays land owners to dig on their property, he uses shacker tables and trenches along rivers and streams, all 100% legal and he has found thousands of artifacts which he then auctions and then sells what doesnt auction off, it is how he makes his living and he does quite well too.

Couple shots of his finds

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His shaker tables

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