News Release
NPS photo.
News Release Date: March 1, 2019
Contact: NPS Investigative Services Branch, 202-379-4761
Investigators from several agencies have stopped a man who looted artifacts and destroyed archeological sites on public and tribal lands. Timothy Brian Harrison, age 50, was recently sentenced to serve one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $113,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, Harrison conducted illegal digging at prehistoric Native American archeological sites on federal lands in Alpine and El Dorado Counties, near Lake Tahoe. He collected tens of thousands of ancient artifacts from multiple archeological sites, and virtually destroyed two very significant archeological sites. Harrison was convicted on two felony counts of excavation and removal of archeological resources from public lands and one misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine. He must self-surrender to begin serving his sentence on April 23, 2019.
Representatives of the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada spoke about the impact on the tribe from this destruction of sites. They explained that Harrison’s digging erased their past and interfered with the tribe’s ability to teach younger generations about their history and culture.
Archeologists explained that Harrison’s conduct led to the irreplaceable loss of unique historical information. Archeologists learn the cultural history of the prior inhabitants from artifacts left behind by the inhabitants by carefully documenting where the artifacts are found, and looting of the artifacts destroys that context.
A Special Agent of the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch assisted the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, California State Fish & Wildlife Service, California Highway Patrol, and Alpine County Sheriff’s Department on this investigation. The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.
ISB: the Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service
www.nps.gov/ISB
Last updated: March 1, 2019