Man Sentenced To Prison For Collecting Thousands Of Ancient Artifacts, Destroying Archaeological Sites

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) — A South Lake Tahoe man was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $113,000 in restitution for excavating and removing archaeological resources from public lands.

The court found 50-year-old Timothy Brian Harrison guilty of conducting an illegal digging at prehistoric Native American archaeological sites on federal lands in Alpine and El Dorado Counties, near Lake Tahoe.

According to court documents, Harrison collected tens of thousands of ancient artifacts from multiple sites, virtually destroying two significant archaeological sites.

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Experts said his conduct contributed to the "irreplaceable loss of unique historical information." Representatives of the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada said Harrison's digging erased their past and interfered with the tribe's ability to teach their younger generations about their history and culture.

Harrison was found guilty of one misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine. He is out of custody and was ordered to self-surrender on April 23.

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