Man who sold sacred items spared jail time

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2003

A New Mexico man who pleaded guilty to selling eagle feathers and violating federal repatriation law was spared jail time by a federal judge.

Joshua Baer, who owns a gallery, was instead given three years of probation and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. He must also pay $675 in court costs.

Pueblo tribal and spiritual leaders called the sentence a sham. Although federal prosecutors plan to repatriate the items, they say they may be too damaged to use again.

Get the Story:
Judge Hands Gallery Owner Probation (The Santa Fe New Mexican 1/13)

Relevant Links:
The Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act - http://laws.fws.gov/lawsdigest/baldegl.html
Migratory Bird Treaty Act - http://www.usbr.gov/laws/mbta.html

Related Stories:
N.M. man pleads guilty to selling artifacts (09/11)
Eagle feather ruling leaves open questions (8/6)
Appeals court upholds eagle protection laws (1/17)
Man denies crime for selling artifacts (11/16)
Indian man convicted of eagle violations (10/29)
Court to rehear eagle protection cases (8/9)
Minn. man sentenced for eagle violation (5/31)
Man pleads guilty to selling artifacts (11/2)
Undercover sting nets sacred artifacts (10/02)
Govt works to protect artifacts (6/29)
Yahoo! removes auction (6/22)
Culture for Sale: Sitting Bull (6/20)
Culture for Sale: eBay (5/23)