Probation ordered for Blanding teacher in artifacts case

.

Emiley Morgan, 'Probation ordered for Blanding teacher in artifacts case', Deseret News Nov. 18, 2011.

David A. Lacy, 58, a Blanding school teacher was "indicted in May 2009 on nine counts of selling, stealing or offering to sell a number of archeological artifacts, including a turkey feather blanket, a basket mat fragment, a female apron/loin cloth, one complete woven sandal and two partial woven sandals". These he was accused of having taken in violation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and selling to an undercover informant in December 2007. This case has ended in the same way as those of 25 other individuals in the same area, caught in the same 'sting' and accused of stealing Native American artifacts from public lands and selling them. He pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of trafficking stolen artifacts and Native American cultural items. On Friday he was sentenced in the District Court Friday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Samuel Alba who "ordered him to spend one year on probation. As a condition of his probation, Lacy is not to enter government property for any reason other than travel".

The Four Corners case reveals how lightly the United States authorities treat the crimes of looting archaeological sites and grave-robbing even in their own land. It is a "one" on the ruler scale of Philistinic concern; slapped wrist and go and stand in the corner, and don't get caught doing it again. Pathetic.

So dealers are doing their level best to spread the word by giving most of the nation "Ancient Coins for education" using coins of dubious provenance donated to the scheme by other dealers and collectors. Does Blanding High offer a native version: "ancient pots and looted grave goods for Education"? What kind of message does this sentencing hand out to the next generation of potential artefact hunters and site looters?

Vignette: spare the rod and lose your archaeological record, but who cares, eh?