Suspected looters charged in theft of Native American artifacts

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Federal authorities have announced charges against 24 people in what they said is the largest investigation ever into the looting of Native American artifacts on public lands.

The looted items, valued at more than $335,000, came mostly from sacred burial sites located near the Four Corners area where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico share a border. The indictments were announced by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar at a news conference Wednesday in Salt Lake City.

‘The message that we’re sending is, we’re not going to tolerate this kind of activity,’ he later told the L.A. Times.

To apprehend the suspects, government authorities used an antiquities dealer as a source to record several illicit transactions, according to court records.

The looted items include an ax, woven baskets, sandals, a buffalo headdress, burial and ceremonial masks and a rug made with turkey feathers.

Read the full L.A. Times story here.

-- David Ng