Jan 1 - Dinosaur Dispute: Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Fossils

A dinosaur dispute has ended in a Florida fossils dealer pleading guilty to smuggling charges.

38-year-old Eric Prokopi (below) has offered to give up a dinosaur skeleton worth $1 million for its return to Mongolia. The skeleton was seized by US customs officials earlier this year.

Prokopi has said he will surrender the 70 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton (above) and give up his claims to six other dinosaurs and various other bones as part of a deal with prosecutors. In return, the prosecution has said it will recommend leniency from charges that can result in a potential prison sentence of up to 17 years.

In Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday, prosecutors read out what they described as “[one of] the larger dinosaur shopping lists you’ll see today.”

Assistant US Attorney Martin S. Bell noted that a second near-complete Tyrannosaurus skeleton was discovered at Prokopi’s Gainesville, Florida home, and a third is suspected to be in Great Britain.

The dinosaur dispute began when the US government accused Prokopi of illegally smuggling bones into the country from Mongolia, before[..]embling them into a complete skeleton and selling them at auction for $1.05 million. The government said Prokopi attempted to fool customs officials by mislabeling the various shipments of dinosaur bones as reptile bones from Great Britain.

A release from US Attorney Preet Bharara read:

“Fossils and ancient skeletal remains are part of the fabric of a country’s natural history and cultural heritage, and black marketers like Prokopi who illegally export and sell these wonders, steal a slice of that history. We are pleased that we can now begin the process of returning these prehistoric fossils to their countries of origin.”

Prokopi remains free on bail pending a sentencing scheduled for April 25.