Utah Indicts Four on ‘Conspiracy Against the United States’ After They Allegedly Stole Over $1 Million in Dinosaur Bones, Tried to Sell Them to China

A federal grand jury in Utah has indicted four people for attempting to illegally sell $1 million worth of paleontological resources, including to buyers in China.

The stolen goods include 150,000 pounds of paleontological resources, including dinosaur bones, removed from federal and state lands in southeastern Utah, in violation of the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA).

Vint Wade, 65, and Donna Wade, 67, of Moab; Steven Willing, 67, of Los Angeles, California; and Jordan Willing, 40 of Ashland, Oregon, have been charged with causing $3 million in damages by stealing more than $1 million in paleontological resources, which included dinosaur bones, from federal land, according to a report from KSL.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, “Between March 2018 and continuing until at least March 2023, the defendants allegedly purchased, transported and exported dinosaur bones from federal land. The defendants further illegally conspired by knowingly concealing and retaining stolen property of the United States. As charged, in a typical execution of the conspiracy, the Wades purchased paleontological resources removed from federal land by paying cash and checks to known and unknown unindicted individuals. Those individuals removed the dinosaur bones for the Wades’ personal use. The Wades stockpiled paleontological resources to sell at gem and mineral shows to national vendors and to sell some of the illegally obtained paleontological resources to Steven and Jordan Willing. Using their company, JMW Sales, the Willings’ exported the dinosaur bones to China by mislabeling the dinosaur bones and deflating their value to avoid detection by federal agents.”

Prosecutors allege that in addition to selling over $1,000,000 in paleontological resources, the defendants caused over $3,000,000 in damages “that includes the commercial value of the resource, the scientific value of the resource, and the cost of restoration and repair.”

“By removing and processing these dinosaur bones to make consumer products for profit, tens of thousands of pounds of dinosaur bones have lost virtually all scientific value, leaving future generations unable to experience the science and wonder of these bones on Federal land,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting paleontological resources throughout the State of Utah. We will hold accountable anyone who seeks to engage in similar criminal conduct.”

The defendants have been charged with conspiracy against the United States, Paleontological Resources Preservation Act violation, theft of property of the United States, and other charges.

“Southeastern Utah is well-known destination for visitors to experience paleontology on the landscape. The public deserves the opportunity to benefit from and appreciate prehistoric resources on the lands,” said BLM Utah State Director Gregory Sheehan. “We are grateful to our team, including technical experts and law enforcement rangers, and the many partner-agencies who have committed time and energy to bring closure in this case.”

The defendants are scheduled for their first court appearance on October 19, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.