SALT LAKE CITY — Four people, including two Utahns, have been accused of stealing dinosaur bones from Southeastern Utah, selling them at gem and mineral shows and shipping them to China.
Vint Wade, 65, and Donna Wade, 67, of Moab as well as Steven Willing, 67 of Los Angeles and Jordan Willing, 40, of Oregon were arrested in connection to the case.
An indictment alleges more than $1 million in paleontological resources were sold and more than $3 million in damage was caused.
Paleontological resources refer to any fossilized remains, traces, or imprints of organisms that have paleontological interest and provide information about Earth's history.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah reported that over a span of five years, from March 2018 to March 2023, the four individuals bought, transported and exported dinosaur bones from federal and state lands.
In total, 150,000 pounds of bones and other resources were illegally removed, officials reported.
The Wades allegedly paid "unknown unindicted individuals" to take dinosaur bones from federal land before selling the bones and other items at gem and mineral shows to national vendors.
Some of the illegally obtained resources were also sold to Steven and Jordan Willing, documents state. The Willings would then use their company to export dinosaur bones to China.
Documents allege the Willings mislabeled the bones and deflated their value to avoid detection by federal agents.
The indictment states that the Wade's and Willing's actions were in direct violation of the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act, which states a person cannot remove, alter, damage, sell or purchase paleontological resources located on Federal land.
The individuals were charged with multiple other offences including money laundering, attempted smuggling and theft.
The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Monticello Field Office, the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office with assistance from Grand County Sheriff and San Juan County Sheriff Offices are now investigating the case.
