Colorado man accused of stealing dinosaur bones, artifacts from Utah

A Colorado man is accused of stealing several pieces of dinosaur bone and other archaeological items from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in 2005.

Charles Penn Lindsey, now 53 or 54, was charged with one misdemeanor count of looting public lands, according to charging documents filed in a Colorado federal court on Thursday.

Lindsey is accused of stealing petrified wood, lava bomb, lava rock, flat red rock, garnet, five stone artifact pieces, river rock, pot shards and 14 pieces of dinosaur bone from Glen Canyon in Kane County.

Jeff Dorschner, a spokesman for the Colorado U.S. Attorney's Office, said Lindsey was turned in by his ex-wife, who said she was afraid he would teach their son how to loot as well.

She reported the stolen Utah artifacts to National Park Service investigators in January 2009. They found the items at Lindsey's home in Woodland Park, Dorschner said.

Lindsey was issued a summons and is expected to appear in court on June 17 in Colorado Springs. The looting charge is a violation of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.

If convicted, Lindsey faces up to a year behind bars and a fine of $10,000.

From The Salt Lake Tribune