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<< Sites under Threat >> Florida Artifact Poachers claim Just Looking

Submitted by bat400 on Monday, 08 January 2007  Page Views: 5308

Site WatchCountry: United States Five men "poaching" prehistoric artifacts will face only minor charges for digging artifacts in a privately owned site just north of Interstate 75 in Thonotosassa, east of Tampa, Florida.
Reported last week as a Federal site, the area is actually privately owned. Florida's laws do not recognize such looting as a crime unless a burial is involved.

Last week, Hillsborough County sheriff's Cpl. Don Balaban was the first to notice something wrong. Balaban drove by a piece of land that he used to own and saw three heads pop up from behind the hill. Instantly, he was suspicious.

When he owned the property years ago, he had to constantly chase away artifact poachers. "It was the biggest nightmare of my life," he said. "Every poacher, even from other countries, was coming out here … I knew they were destroying this place."
Latest St. Petersburg Times article.

Lakeland Ledger post of original St. Petersburg Times article.
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"Florida Artifact Poachers claim Just Looking" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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Looters only Trespassers: The Economist Explains by bat400 on Wednesday, 21 February 2007
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The commonality of the Thonotosassa, Florida, looting and incidents in other parts of the United States. See The Economist.
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