Posted on 04/03/2014 6:31:41 AM PDT by alancarp
INDIANAPOLIS – FBI agents have seized thousands of artifacts from Native Americans, Russia, China, and other nations from a 91-year-old man's private collection in rural central Indiana.
The items, which also came from Haiti, Australia, New Guinea and Peru, were collected by Donald Miller of Waldron over eight decades, FBI Special Agent Robert Jones said at a news conference.
"The cultural value of these artifacts is immeasurable," Jones said while refusing to disclose details of any of the individual items taken from Miller's property.
Some items were acquired improperly, but Miller, who traveled extensively, obtained others legally or before laws affecting them were on the books, Jones said. Federal authorities will attempt to repatriate items with their rightful owners, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
“......but Miller, who traveled extensively, obtained others legally or before laws affecting them were on the books...”
I can just imagine that crap the Obama’s and Clinton’s have confiscated over the years...
Many comments regarding this farcical abuse of authority here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3140315/posts
Just a wild thought but maybe he turned himself in for Heath reasons...
GEE, I FEEL SO MUCH SAFER NOW THAT i KNOW THE fbi IS PROTECTING US FROM HOARDERS.............
Talk about having nothing better to do. Too many of these heavy handed responses to offenses comparable to jay walking.
Welcome to the United Socialist Police States of America.
Now that the FBI has prevented 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombing from happening, and have totally eliminated the threat of muslim terrorism, they have time to seek out the criminal element who rip off the “Do Not Remove” tags from their mattresses.
When I was a kid the FBI was held in awe.
Now they are on the way to becoming another BATF.
Just a wild thought but maybe he turned himself in for Heath reasons... TOO MUCH SUGAR WILL DO THAT TO YA...............
I’m so behind. I had no idea that the war on terror was over and that we won, that Canckles and obama are in Leavenworth, the IRS has been banished and the fair tax adopted, unemployment is under 5%, we have gold to back our greenbacks, and the EPA has been put on a very short leash. What times we live in that the FBI has the time, manpower, and resources to investigate this.
Your tax dollars are being put to good use................
Here’s a link to a 2011 WSJ compilation of such raids including one by the weather police (NOAA) confiscating coral from a store in Florida.
Very puzzling. He seems to have acquired most of them legally - he claims he acquired all of them legally - so I don’t see what right they have to do this or even why they would do it. He wasn’t hiding illegally obtained items and selling them on the black market, but apparently let people go through his “museum” and look at them.
He may be somewhat of a hoarder, but that’s a whole different matter (and doesn’t require FBI intervention!).
"Is that some kind of a joke?"
They were in the hands of their "rightful owner" before the government stole them.
Oops wrong link. That one was a table of agencies w/police.
Below is the WSJ compilation.
I'm guessing Some equals one or two items alleged by some covetous visitor. But the law will force him to prove legal acquisition of everything.
And the rightful owners will be defined as turd world dictators who will promptly convert artifacts to cash to line their own pockets.
I’m guessing there’s one or more things in that collection some major Dem donor wants, and he won’t sell.
Irrational hatred of antiquarians. Motivated more by a distaste towards affluence and private property than any reasonable desire to preserve history, culture, or context.
I’d rather see a well-loved and well-cared-for collection of antiquities in private hands than rotting away forgotten in some agency’s or institution’s cellars, or worse yet, handed off to some unthinking, uncaring, and unfunded government workers in an unstable third-world nation just to end up in a 21st century midden.
The FBI finds Indiana Jones.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.