CovOps
 Location : Ether-Sphere
Job/hobbies : Irrationality Exterminator
Humor : Über Serious
 |  Subject: Thieving FBI: 91-Year-Old Serf's Unique Collection Robbed  Sat Apr 12, 2014 1:54 am | |
| When Andi Essex got an eyeful of Don Miller’s gigantic basement collection of artifacts he’s acquired from his travels around the world, she was enthralled.
“It’s unreal,” Essex told WISH-TV in Indianapolis, adding that the “full skeleton is what blew my mind” and that her “favorite” was Miller’s piece of Hitler’s bunker.
The 91-year-old is a veteran, former teacher, and was part of the Manhattan Project which created the atomic bomb — and over eight decades has traveled to more than 200 countries, collecting and bartering for artifacts along the way.
“He’s just a very interesting, interesting guy,” Essex told WISH.
Apparently the FBI agrees.
Federal agents took over Miller’s home in Waldron, Ind., about 35 miles southeast of Indianapolis, on Wednesday because they believe some of his artifacts may violate several treaties and could have been “acquired improperly.”
“Over the last several months, an FBI investigation has determined that Mr. Miller may have knowingly and unknowingly collected artifacts, relics and objects of cultural patrimony in violation of several treaties federal and state statutes,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones told WISH.
Jones said some statutes and laws from the last several decades may not have been in effect when Miller collected some of the items, adding that it’s “our duty to ensure they are properly identified, safeguarded, collected and stored in a manner that allow us to eventually to return them to those Native American and other nations and cultural groups who have legitimate rights to ownership.”
While Miller invited the agents inside his home and told WISH that everything is rightfully his, officials are making sure in a big way. A command station, trucks, and huge tents surround Miller’s house, along with crime scene tape, as they comb through his artifacts.
“He is being cooperative and so far everything is going well,” Paul Bresson, FBI spokesperson, told WISH.
The FBI added all artifacts Miller possesses legitimately will be returned to him; the agency wouldn’t confirm or deny if criminal charges are being filed.
Jones said the FBI will turn over its findings to the U.S. Attorney’s office once the investigation is complete.
“I have never seen a collection like this in my entire life except in some of the largest museums,” IUPUI Professor of Anthropology Larry Zimmerman told WISH.
The FBI noted that no one is in danger and that they want to return artifacts to their rightful owners and places of origin if necessary — which would be a disappointment to neighbors who’ve viewed Miller’s collection with a sense of awe.
“I had even asked him, ‘Can I bring my Grandpa? Can I?’” Essex recounted to WISH after her tour. “He was like ‘Oh, sure! Just call me. Yeah, we’d love to show him through here.’ Because you know, anybody who interested who’s a history buff would love to see some of the stuff he has.”
“He was just one of those guys that you meet once in your life, and he has a huge impact on you, and you just never forget him,” Melissa Kleiman told WISH.
“He was just one of the most interesting guys I’ve ever met. Loves to tell stories of his travels, and he’s been all over the world.” Among the countries he’s visited are Haiti, New Zealand, China, and Greece.
When she heard that the FBI was conducting an investigation of his collection, Kleiman told WISH she was “flabbergasted.”
“I’m just thinking about this wonderful man that I had met three years ago, and I’ll never forget him and all the stories he told us. I just can’t imagine him doing anything wrong on purpose.”
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/04/03/what-a-91-year-old-man-has-been-keeping-in-his-basement-got-him-a-visit-from-the-fbi/
Comments (401)
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WarMunger_Al
Apr. 3, 2014 at 3:28pm
Nothing like the FBI to steal your stuff. It even states the things were acquired when it was legal to do so. F-ing government thieves
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Casca_Longinus
Apr. 3, 2014 at 3:35pm
Federal agents took over Miller’s home in Waldron, Ind., about 35 miles southeast of Indianapolis, on Wednesday because they believe some of his artifacts may violate several treaties and could have been “acquired improperly.”
Translation – We are taking everything of value. He will be left with worthless trinkets.
Can’t have treasures in the hands of regular people.
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Ironmaan
Apr. 3, 2014 at 3:36pm
Thieves and parasites.
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RANGER1965
Apr. 3, 2014 at 3:46pm
If you have artifacts or a collection of just about anything…SHUT UP!
If you find a treasure….SHUT UP!
If you have guns and ammo, legal or not…SHUT UP!
If you have money, take at least some of it and invest it in guns/ammo/food./gold/silver or something useful and tangible. Put it in a hidden and safe place and…SHUT UP!
Say nothing, Agree to nothing, and consider anything, and I mean ANYTHING!, asked of you by law enforcement, or any government organization, is not for your benefit.
Until Glenn Beck’s George Washington appears on the scene, my recommendation is clandestine patience.
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chadred
Apr. 3, 2014 at 3:47pm
I guess the government can take better care of the collections? What a freaking joke. Oh and yea they will return them to their rightful owners, my a**.
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MisterSarcastic
Apr. 3, 2014 at 3:54pm
I suppose Mike and Frank will be next.
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The-Monk
Apr. 3, 2014 at 3:57pm
I wonder how much of the property taken and never returned will end up in the homes of senior FBI officials?
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cosette
Apr. 3, 2014 at 3:58pm
Do you believe the magnitude of this operation over “stuff”??? And the FBI has yet to investigate the IRS scandal after 2 and a half years? That’s some twisted set of priorities they have, but we all know a fish rots from the head down… isn’t that right Ovomit?
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armyofnibiru
Apr. 3, 2014 at 4:02pm
what a stinking gooberment scam. you buy a trinket at a reservation and the fbi come in and occupy your house. and return the trinket to the gooberment fema camp for native americans called reservations to sell to someone else and start the whole cycle all over again.
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beckisgr8ist
Apr. 3, 2014 at 4:04pm
hahaha on Essex. He says he’s never seen a collection like it. That will tell you right there he’s never seen Glenn Becks Nazi memorabilia. Glenn Beck has much better stuff. Where’s Tokyo Roses microphone, Huh Essex? Do you even know the story behind it that we’ve all heard at least 10 times? Where’s Hitler’s Hankie? It’s lib-progs like Essex that make my head want to explode.
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woodyee
Apr. 3, 2014 at 4:05pm
Sad thing he invited them in…then again, The Ruby Ridge murders might have flashed through his mind…
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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Apr. 3, 2014 at 4:15pm
Andu Essex=tattletale.
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armyofnibiru
Apr. 3, 2014 at 4:16pm
you can’t have that gold oldman.
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Apr. 3, 2014 at 4:18pm
I wonder how many of these ‘stolen artifacts’ will find their way into the Congressmen of the Democrats private collections?
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