The crux of the initial charges center on the purchase of a large number of antiquities by an undercover agent of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).



Between June, 2007 and October, 2008, the agent spent more than $335,000 of federal funds to buy 256 artifacts.



These include personal items such as ceramic figurines, effigy bird pendant, stone pendants, copper bracelet, gourd necklace, ivory necklace, paint pot, hair ornament, beads, turquoise pendant, twin effigy, ceramic effigy, jewelry and a prayer stick.



Household items that were purchased include sandals, blanket fragments, turkey feather blanket, woven baskets, bowls, pitchers, pipes and mugs. In addition, also purchased were seed jar, stone metate, stone pipes, and a fireboard.



Defense items that were purchased include stone tools, Clovis Points, Atlatl Dart Point, San Jose knife, hafted axe, at’ladl knife, polishing stones, drills, San Pedro knife, Tularosa Basal notched knife, and points.



According to the federal government, the purchases were electronically recorded by the undercover agent. In many cases, the seller indicated on a map where the artifacts were recovered. The charges allege that the artifacts were taken from public lands.



Additional evidence may call into doubt whether certain artifacts were taken from private ground.



In several cases, the undercover agent apparently recorded the seller indicating that the items were taken from public land while, at the same time, signing an affidavit that they were taken from private land.



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