FBI Raids 91-Year-Old Man's Artifact Collection

informationliberation.com ^ | 3 April, 2014 | NA

[marktwain]

100 agents make a man prove that he obtained his collection properly.

WALDRON, IN — Around 100 FBI agents swarmed an elderly man’s house in rural Indiana.  The Federal government has set up a command post with trucks and military-style tents.  The feds showed up to sort through his lifetime collection of world artifacts that he had gathered over the course of his 91 years.   The agents claim they want to make sure he “acquired the items properly” — effectively making him prove his innocence — even though the man has not been accused of breaking any laws.

Don Miller, 91, has led a remarkable life filled with world travels and research.  He never had any children, and instead spent his years devoted to science, history, and travel.   He has visited over 200 countries, and began collecting cultural artifacts nearly 8 decades ago.

Over time he has built an impressive collection comprised of thousands of relics. He has objects from China, Haiti, Australia, Russia, New Guinea, Italy, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Greece, Peru, Russia, among other countries. His North American artifacts include objects from the native tribes that once populated the continent.

Mr. Miller has been proud to show off his collection to folks.  The locals liken his collection to a museum.  He’d give people permission to invite friends along to tour his house.

His passion has never been a secret.  Unfortunately, his openness brought him the unwanted attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Dozens of federal agents set up camp around his house, in a monumental effort to determine if Mr. Miller had ever broken a law, statute, or treaty.  Several mobile command centers were brought in along with archeologists, anthropologists, and a legion of bureaucrats.  The staging of the FBI at the Miller home has been ongoing this week and will last an unknown duration.  The use of taxpayer resources to incriminate the old man is truly immense.

When neighbor Andi Essex heard the FBI was raiding Miller’s home, she grew upset.  “Why? Why? Leave him alone! He's done so much for people,” she said according to WISH-TV.

A plumber who once toured Miller’s house recalled the collection:  “It was pretty neat stuff. I was really interested in looking at all of it… He had a head with an arrowhead stuck in it, like a skull and all kinds of Indian artifacts from arrowheads to hatchets to peace pipes to just anything.”

The FBI experts who were brought in to snoop through Miller’s home were stunned.  “I’m frankly overwhelmed I’ve never seen a collection like this in my entire life,” said Dr. Larry Zimmerman.

“The exact number of artifacts in the collection is unknown at this time but it’s believed to be in the thousands,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones. “The monetary value of the entire collection and of its individual pieces is yet to be determined however the cultural value of these artifacts is immeasurable.”

Miller’s fascinating life included working for the U.S. Army during World War 2, and being part of the secret team of researchers that test-fired the world’s first atomic bomb. As the Rushville Republican reported, after the 1945 armistice, being surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the country with “no more war to fight,” Miller set up his own makeshift college within the Army.  He graded papers for famed physicist Enrico Fermi.

But that was decades ago.  Mr. Miller, now a kindly old gentleman, was described as being “very cooperative.”  But he insists “absolutely” that he acquired everything legally.

The FBI’s implication, however, is that Mr. Miller is a lawbreaker, and they are preying on his trust and cooperation until they can actually produce evidence in order to prove it.

[marktwain]

Sounds like application of the "three felonies a day" rule. Every citizen commits three felonies a day, whether they want to or not, because of so many vague, overlapping federal laws.

Who knows, maybe he cannot prove that one of the feathers on an Indian decoration predates the federal law that only allows possession by documented "native" americans.

[TurboZamboni]

guess they better seize Leno’s car collection.
you can’t be driving cars that don’t have safety equipment compliant with today’s laws!

thank goodness the FBI is keeping us ‘safe’.

[MulberryDraw]

I wonder if he has any of that Gibson Guitar wood.

[mongo141]

More out of control government.

[Texas Fossil]

Bureaucrap!

[FroggyTheGremlim]

I bet he's a Republican!

[RIghtwardHo]

Police State America ... where we have lived since 9/11 and the subsequent “Patriot” Act.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Sorry, I missed it - he's a Rushville Republican!

[marktwain]

You do not do a hundred agent raid overnight. This has been planned for at least months, and they have no charges on this guy.

Someone covets this man's collection. It is likely worth several millions. He has no children.

They have probably rationalized it by saying: He is old and about to die. We have to be sure that these artifacts are properly cared for...

Just wow. I would love to read the planning records for this raid.

[bunkerhill7]

THESE ITEMS were collected BEFORE THESE LAWS WERE PASSED>

EX POST FACTO`s are Illegal under the US Constitution.

DISMISSED!

Section 9 - Limits on Congress

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

[mj1234]

“Rushville Republican!”

that is a paper— doing the story

[marktwain]

THESE ITEMS were collected BEFORE THESE LAWS WERE PASSED>

Just like the Connecticut rifles were owned before the law was passed..

Just like people plead guilty to domestic violence and paid a small fine before the law depriving them of constitutional rights for the above was passed..

The prohibition on Ex Post Facto laws has been repeatedly beat down to near meaninglessness.

[Wallace T.]

It makes sense that he is a conservative or somehow or other offended the powers that be.

[Georgia Girl 2]

This is a perfect example of a country where the state has become eveerything. Government now intrudes into evey aspect of our lives whether its constitutional or not. And it intrudes in a very jackbooted way.

Soon it will be time to decide what we are going to do about it.

[Steve_Seattle]

I’m just wondering, did the FBI have a search warrant and did they have “probable cause”? The FBI should have been required to name SPECIFICALLY what they were looking for and what crime was allegedly committed with respect to the named item or items. This could be just another instance of bad reporting, but the story makes it sound like the FBI went on a fishing expedition based on hearsay.

[CrazyIvan]

“I wonder if he has any of that Gibson Guitar wood.”

I would be willing to bet that with that kind of collection there is at least one piece of ivory.

[Foundahardheadedwoman]

I recently cut off all the tags on my mattresses that say under so and so penalty of law do not remove. Come and get me coppers.

[SECURE AMERICA]

Out of control feds....
No crime is even alleged to have been done. They are guessing and and trying to get lucky.

[marktwain]

The fellow has been collecting artifacts for 75 years. He shows people his collection.

Federal rules and international treaties have mad such collecting pretty much illegal in the last 30 years.

How much would it take to convince a judge? “I saw in his home numerous items that appeared to be pre-columbian pottery and others that contained what were clearly feathers of raptors that are illegal for someone who is not a native american to possess without the proper documentation.

I did not see any documentation.”

I think that is all that would be needed for a warrant. Much law is now written that you have to prove your innocence.

[Psalm 144]

This is a perfect example of a country where the state has become eveerything. Government now intrudes into evey aspect of our lives whether its constitutional or not. And it intrudes in a very jackbooted way.

**************

You are quite correct. When the SCOTUS upheld ACA, the transition of the United States from an authoritarian to a totalitarian state became formal, express and complete. Most people do no understand the meaning of totalitarian. They have some muddled idea of ‘totally evil’ or ‘as bad as it can get’. Those notions are wrong. A totalitarian state is one which asserts its right to govern the totality of human existence. It rejects natural law and embraces ‘positive law’.

Today, right now, both the United States and the EU are totalitarian. Are they as malicious and oppressive as they could possibly be? No. But they retain those options should they choose as a matter of law. Both parties have contributed mightily to suppression of individual liberty.

This is what the West now is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarian_democracy

Bleating about liberty and freedom in our system is simply cheerleading and whistling past the concertina wire. Fear, sloth and incompetence are the only checks on government oppression, and the lingering effect of the Second Amendment.