A federal grand jury has indicted a Tucson man on charges that he illegally excavated and sold archaeological artifacts taken from tribal land belonging to the Gila River Indian Community, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Leo Reynoso, 46, faces a two-count indictment alleging violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).
According to the indictment, Reynoso excavated, removed, and damaged protected archaeological resources without authorization. Investigators say the items were taken from known archaeological sites on tribal land and included Indian Trader tokens, coins, buttons, crucifixes, jewelry, and other cultural objects.
Prosecutors allege Reynoso later trafficked some of the illegally obtained artifacts by selling them. An archaeological damage assessment placed the commercial value of the recovered items at approximately $5,700, but estimated their archaeological value at roughly $29,000. The cost to restore and repair the damaged sites was estimated at $23,000.
Each count, unauthorized excavation of archaeological resources and trafficking in archaeological resources, carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
