KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Missouri man and others broke into a prehistoric Native American archaeological site and used shovels, rakes and other equipment to dig up artifacts, causing thousands of dollars in damage, according to a federal indictment.
Johnny Lee Brown, 70, of Clinton, Missouri, charged in an 11-count indictment filed April 26 but not yet disclosed and made public Tuesday.
The indictment alleges that Brown, two known co-conspirators and others excavated archaeological artifacts on federal lands at Truman Lake near the town of Tightwad, Missouri, at least 10 times from June 2016 through September.
The site is controlled by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is located on a peninsula. It dates from the Late Archaic period, between 3000 and 5000 years ago. the stone, or both.
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The suspects allegedly used small pallets, shovels, rakes and hoes, as well as buckets and backpacks to remove the pieces from the site. The indictment specifies what Brown and the others allegedly did with the stolen pieces.
The illegal excavation caused more than $300,000 in damage, the U. S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City said. “the indictment said.
On Wednesday, Brown’s attorney did not respond to an email seeking comment.