Arizona man accused of trafficking tribal artifacts indicted by grand jury

PHOENIX — An Arizona man who is accused of trafficking tribal artifacts was indicted by a federal grand jury in Tucson last week.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, 46-year-old Leo Reynoso of Tucson was indicted for violating the Archeological Resources Protection Act.

The charges he is facing include unauthorized excavation of archeological resources and trafficking in archeological resources. If convicted, Reynoso faces a maximum of two years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Details on the trafficking of tribal artifacts Reynoso is accused of

Prosecutors said that Reynoso is accused of excavating and removing multiple artifacts from known archeological sites on the Gila River Indian Community.

The items that Reynoso allegedly excavated include Indian Trader tokens, coins, buttons, crucifixes and jewelry.

After Reynoso excavated the artifacts, he reportedly sold some of them without a permit.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, an archeological damage assessment was done and estimated that the commercial value of the artifacts was approximately $5,700, the archeological value was around $29,000 and the cost to restore and repair the sites would be about $23,000.

Related

Man indicted for child sex trafficking after arrest in 'The Blade,' a Phoenix area known for prostitutionSuspects in Arizona check washing scheme arrestedSuspect indicted for Phoenix road rage shooting that left 2 dead, including 8-year-old girlArizona Department of Public Safety introduces its 1st crisis response canine2 teens arrested after ‘Senior Assassins’ game causes disturbance at Queen Creek drive-thruWalmart announces $250K grant to boost workforce development opportunities in Arizona