2nd defendant in artifacts crackdown kills himself
A second defendant indicted after an investigation into the theft and illegal trafficking of American Indian artifacts from the Four Corners area has been found dead in an apparent suicide, the FBI said Friday.
The body of Steven L. Shrader, 56, of Santa Fe, N.M., was found behind an elementary school in Shabbona, Ill., on Friday. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said he died of two self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the chest.
Shrader was one of two dozen people indicted after a two-year undercover investigation of suspects in Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. He was charged with two counts of felony theft of government property but had not yet entered a plea. The indictments were unsealed June 10.
The day after the indictments were announced, a prominent doctor from southeastern Utah, 60-year-old James Redd, committed suicide. A family member said Redd died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in his car.
Federal officials accused Shrader in the trafficking of a pair of ancient sandals and a basket, each valued at more than $1,000.
The case was touted by federal officials as the nation’s largest investigation into the theft of archaeological objects. But federal officials came under fire, accused of heavy-handed tactics during raids on a dozen homes.
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