A man in Colorado has been charged in federal court for threatening to beat a confidential informant in the Interior Department's Indian artifact theft case.

Charles Denton Armstrong, 44, was indicted on one count of retaliation against an informant. He was a patient of James Redd, one of the defendants in the case who subsequently committed suicide.

"Armstrong indicated his intent was not to kill the source, but to 'hurt him real bad,'" a Bureau of Land Management agent said in an affidavit, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Armstrong is likely to plead guilty, his attorney said. He faces up to 20 years.

Get the Story:
Blanding man accused of threatening to beat up informant in artifacts case (The Salt Lake Tribune 7/14)
Man accused of threatening to beat informant in artifacts looting case (The Los Angeles Times 7/14)

Relevant Documents:
DOI Press Release: Federal Agents Bust Ring of Antiquity Thieves Looting American Indian Sites for Priceless Treasures | DOJ Press Release: Arrests Made in Operation Targeting Network Selling Stolen Native American Artifacts | Remarks of Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden at a Press Conference

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