BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Dinosaur bones, valued at $1M, allegedly stolen in Utah

  • The defendants allegedly shipped dinosaur bones to China for profit
  • They’re also accused of causing $3 million in damages
  • They’ve been charged under the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act

Photo: U.S. Department of Justice

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

maylen

https://digital-stage.newsnationnow.com/

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

MOAB, Utah (NewsNation) — More than $1 million worth of dinosaur bones were stolen in Utah and shipped to China to be sold for profit, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned a 13-count indictment charging four people for allegedly purchasing and selling over $1M in “paleontological resources,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

Photo: U.S. Department of Justice

Vint Wade, 65, Donna Wade, 67, of Moab, Utah; Steven Willing, 67, of Los Angeles; and Jordan Willing, 40 of Ashland, Oregon, were indicted on several felony offenses for violating the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act.

The bones were then sent to China by mislabeling and deflating their value to avoid detection by federal agents.

The four defendants are also accused of causing more than $3 million in damages that “includes the commercial value of the resource, the scientific value of the resource, and the cost of restoration and repair,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Southeastern Utah is well-known destination for visitors to experience paleontology on the landscape. The public deserves the opportunity to benefit from and appreciate prehistoric resources on the lands,” said Utah Bureau of Land Management State Director Gregory Sheehan. “We are grateful to our team, including technical experts and law enforcement rangers, and the many partner-agencies who have committed time and energy to bring closure in this case.”

Crime

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Sunny

la

59°F Sunny Feels like 59°
Wind
1 mph WNW
Humidity
37%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
47°F Clear to partly cloudy. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
2 mph NNE
Precip
9%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous