Two more defendants in artifacts case to be sentenced

Jace Radke

Friday, Dec. 12, 2003 | 9:30 a.m.

Two more defendants in a federal case involving the theft of Indian artifacts are scheduled to be sentenced over the next four weeks.

Kevin Peterson, an all-terrain vehicle tour guide in the Logandale and Overton areas, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 16, and David Peeler is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 19.

Both men were charged as part of Operation Indian Rocks, a federal investigation into more than 10,000 archaeological artifacts taken from protected public lands by a ring of looters.

Richard Arnold, executive director of the Las Vegas Indian Center, said the case is one of the largest artifact cases he's seen prosecuted.

"There's a lot of collecting that has gone on over the years, and it's just fortunate that this time these people were caught," said Arnold, who is the tribal chairman of the Pahrump Band of Paiutes. "It's extremely distressing that people go out and desecrate these areas for personal gain."

Peterson and Peeler have both pleaded guilty to crimes in connection with the thefts, as have Frank Embrey, Bobbie Wilkie and his wife, Deanne.

Bobbie Wilkie is scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas on Monday, after pleading guilty to two counts of excavation and removal of archaeological resources and aiding and abetting.

Deanne Wilkie is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 12 in federal court, and Embrey was sentenced in August to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $86,196 in restitution.

According to court documents, the archaeological value of the arrowheads, ancient corncobs, hammer-stones, clay figurine fragments and other objects taken from sites in Nevada, California and other Western states is estimated at nearly $416,000.

Between December 1997 and December 2001 the defendants conspired to "unlawfully excavate, remove damage and otherwise alter and deface archaeological resources located on designated, federal public lands," according to court documents.

A total of 13 sites were damaged, including areas in Death Valley National Park, Logandale Red Rocks and a desert lake area in Southern Nevada controlled by the Air Force.

Historic sites on public lands are protected by the 1906 Antiquities Act and the 1979 Archaeological Resource Protection Act, which makes it illegal to destroy or excavate these areas.

"There are 40,000 Indians in Clark County, and the knowledge that can be gained at these cultural sites is very important," Arnold said. "We respect the cultures of others, and we hope that people will respect ours."