After roughly two decades of removing cultural artifacts from Death Valley National Park and the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest, a California man has pleaded guilty to two counts of unauthorized excavation, removal, transportation, damage, or defacement of archaeological resources, according to federal authorities.

Jonathan Cornelius Bourne, a 59-year-old physician from Mammoth Lakes, California, entered his plea on August 15, said acting-U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. 

Back on September 17, 2015, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against the doctor, charging him with 21 counts of violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act in Death Valley National Park and other public lands, a release from the park said.

The maximum penalty Dr. Bourne faces is two years in prison and $20,000 fine for each count. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7 in U.S. District Court. In addition, the man is banned from entering public lands administered by the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for three years.

"It feels great to have a conviction in this major case!” said Death Valley Superintendent Mike Reynolds. 

“Cultural resources in national parks are irreplaceable,” added Wanda Raschkow, an archaeologist in the park. “When someone takes something like a bottle from a mining site or an arrowhead, it breaks the link to the stories of that place. It robs all of us of our connection to the past.”

Unrelated to Dr. Bourne's case, this photo shows how some thieves tried to cut out a bighorn sheep petroglyph from elsewhere in Death Valley/NPS

Dr. Bourne has been collecting artifacts and archaeological resources since 1994, according to the park's release. He voluntarily turned over to the government an estimated 20,000 archaeological items that he collected from public lands. Dr. Bourne has agreed to pay $249,372 in restitution to the United States, which will go toward curating the artifacts, the release added. 

According to the plea agreement, on January 10, 2011, Dr. Bourne altered a large prehistoric site in Death Valley National Park and removed a tool made from a bighorn sheep horn and three incised stone tablets over 100 years old, which were found in his home.

Death Valley is the homeland of the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. The tribe continues to shape the history, culture, and ecology of their ancestral homeland in partnership with the National Park Service.

"Our ancestors have lived in the Death Valley region since before written time,” said Barbara Durham, tribal historic preservation officer for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.  “The Timbisha people identify ourselves by our art, our being, our obligation to take care of the lands and to continue our traditions and customs. The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe is very distressed about the actions of Jonathan Bourne, who took it upon himself  to destroy a large prehistoric site here in Death Valley National Park, the homelands of the Timbisha Shoshone.  Our ancestors left their message [in their homelands], for our members and the general public to enjoy and cherish.  When theft occurs, it not only hurts the Tribe, but everybody.”

Ms. Durham further condemned Dr. Bourne’s actions, saying “Destruction of cultural sites are being threatened all the time, people want to take something home with them, not understanding the value of what they take or destroy or what it means to the native people who live on their lands with the belief our cultural sites are being protected for the next generations to come.”

To prevent additional thefts, the park superintendent said staff is working to "increase our backcountry patrols and are installing monitoring equipment at some of the more sensitive locations. We need your help as you visit the park. If you see something that doesn’t seem right, please notify a park ranger.”

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.