An Ohio man has agreed to plead guilty to violating the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Mark Beatty, 56, admitted that he bought remains that were illegally removed from graves in Jackson County. He paid between $4,000 and $4,500 for eight ancestors -- two adults and six juveniles -- The Grove Sun reported.
“Sadly, there is a black market for this,” Emily Truelove, a spokesperson for the Miami Nation of Oklahoma, told the paper.
As part of a plea agreement, federal prosecutors will seek a sentence of three years probation, three months of home confinement and a fine of $3,500 for Beatty. He also will pay restitution of $1,000 to the Miami Nation.
"Defendant will also publish an advertisement in a newspaper warning others not to engage in illegal excavation of Native American bones and artifacts," the agreement states.
Beatty purchased the remains, along with hundreds of artifacts, from three men who were seen digging on property that didn't belong to them, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
The case is ongoing so further charges are possible.
The crime took place in November 2012.
Get the Story:Ohio man ordered to pay Miami tribe $1,000 for grave robbery (The Grove Sun 8/11)
Jackson County man pleads guilty to buying stolen Native American remains (The Columbus Dispatch 8/6)
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