Paleontologist pleads guilty to stealing fossils
He admits taking more than a dozen bones
BILLINGS – A Montana paleontologist whose discoveries brought widespread acclaim has pleaded guilty to a federal charge that he stole dinosaur fossils from federal land.
Nate Murphy’s work includes unearthing a mummified duckbill dubbed Leonardo, considered the best-preserved fossil in the world.
On Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Great Falls, Murphy pleaded guilty to taking more than a dozen fossilized dinosaur bones from U.S. Bureau of Land Management land near Malta without having a permit. He had pleaded guilty last month in state court to stealing a raptor fossil from private land and trying to cash in on molds from the bones.
Law enforcement officials and other paleontologists said the cases underscore the growing problem of fossil theft, which is driven by the increasingly high prices rare specimens bring on the open market.
More than 200 law enforcement incidents involving fossils were tallied by the BLM over the last decade, federal officials say.
Murphy’s plea agreement in the federal case asks that his sentence not include jail time. Sentencing is set for July 9.
Following Tuesday’s hearing, U.S. Attorney Bill Mercer said he hoped the high-profile prosecution would deter others from committing similar crimes.
“This particular prosecution hopefully will send a strong message that if people do engage in that type of activity, there will be serious consequences in terms of legal action,” Mercer said.
Murphy, 51, is a self-taught paleontologist who runs a private paleo-outfitting business based in Billings.