Robert Knowlton Sentenced for Selling and Transporting Archaeological Artifacts

DENVER—Robert B. Knowlton, age 66, of Grand Junction, Colorado, was sentenced this afternoon by U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 18 months of probation for selling and transporting for sale an archaeological resource. Judge Brimmer also banned Knowlton from being on BLM land for the purpose of collecting.

Robert B. Knowlton was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on August 25, 2009. The indictment was superseded by an Information filed on August 17, 2010. He pled guilty before Judge Brimmer on that same day. The defendant was sentenced today, November 19, 2010.

According to the Information from which Knowlton pled guilty, Count one states that on July 17, 2008, the defendant did knowingly sell and offer to sell an archaeological resource, specifically a cloud blower pipe, which was removed from public lands in violation of Federal law, which resource was valued at less than $500. Count two states that on July 18, 2008, Knowlton did knowingly transport and cause to be transported from Colorado to Utah an archaeological resource, namely the same cloud blower pipe. Both counts are misdemeanors. The original indictment was dismissed as a result of the plea agreement.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Knowlton was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mydans.