Jeanne Redd and her daughter, Jerrica Redd, pleaded guilty this afternoon to multiple theft and illegal trafficking charges stemming from the Utah Indian artifacts raid last month.
Jeanne Redd was indicted during the June 10 raid that drew scorn many Utah offiicals, including Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett. Hatch said the raid was “unnecessary and brutal.” Physician James Redd, Jeanne Redd’s husband, committed suicide a day after he was indicted in the raid, followed by the suicide of another suspect a week later.
Read our previous reports on the raid here and here.
More than 150 federal agents were involved in the roundup of Utahans suspected of violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The U.S. Attorney for Utah, Brett Tolman, had to issue a statement and hold a news conference to defend the federal actions.
Jeanne and James Redd had had a previous run-in with the law over Indian artifacts. The Redds paid the state of Utah $10,000 in 2003 after they were prosecuted for raiding an Indian burial ground. The charges against James Redd for the 1996 incident were eventually dropped, while his wife pleaded no contest to a reduced charge.
Jerrica Redd was not indicted during the June 10 raid. Authorities later found evidence in the Redds’ home that allegedly connected her to the artifact thefts, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Read the Salt Lake Tribune story here and The Associated Press story here.
