KOROR, Palau (3 July 2006) -- Matthew Young and Cameron James Avenell, who were convicted of theft of Palau's underwater artifacts, were sentenced to a jail term of three months and six months, respectively. Chief Justice Arthiur Ngiraklsong also ordered Young to pay a US$5,000 fine and Avenell US$12,000. Young was found guilty of violating the Lagoon Monument Act, grand larceny, malicious mischief and conversion of public property. He was sentenced six months for each violation. The chief justice, however, suspended the first three months of Young's sentence, which will run concurrently. Avenell was found guilty of four counts of violations of the Lagoon Monument Act, four counts of grand larceny, four counts of malicious mischief and four counts of conversion of public property. His six-month jail term will also run concurrently. Ngiraklsong ordered the two to pay the fines before they depart Palau. Assistant Attorney General Erin Johnson said the law requires that they move for the two divers' deportation after they have served their jail term. Johnson said they were happy with the court sentence. Assistant Attorney General Christopher Hale, for his part said: "The sentences were less that what we have asked for, but we are confident that the sentences will have some deterrent value." He added, "The message is loot Palau's historic shipwreck and you go to jail." During the sentencing, Young and Avenell apologized in the court for their "wrongdoing' and said they were remorseful and vowed not to do it again. Police recovered the artifacts during the search of the yacht Lionwind. by BERNADETTE H. CARREON | | CYBER DIVER ALERT | Partners in crime: Grave robbers Leigh Bishop and Brad Sheard. Following the lead of dive industry-endorsed shipwreck looters Bishop and Sheard, scuba diving thieves around the world are destroying historically and culturally significant wrecks for bragging rights, coffee table displays and internet auction profits that amount to a fraction of the revenue shipwrecks can generate as fully protected underwater museums. FROM THE EDITORS OF CDNN Despite dive industry 'take pictures, leave only bubbles' green-wash, a small but strident and criminal group of industry-promoted scuba diving looters steal artifacts from shipwrecks under the guise of 'archaeological exploration', and aggressively compete for bragging rights, product endorsements and profits from the sales of stolen artifacts that are now on a par with those from smuggling humans and drugs. "We do not care about Leigh Bishop and Brad Sheard's personality problems, their crude hate sites, their chat room antics nor their criminal attempts to intimidate, harass and blackmail responsible, eco-friendly dive companies that support full protection of marine wildlife, shipwrecks and underwater war graves," said CDS President Evan T. Allard. "Such unscrupulous and criminal conduct is beneath contempt and serves only to substantiate accusations that Bishop and Sheard have committed crimes and will continue to do so unless authorities step in." "The vast majority of the global scuba diving community opposes shipwreck looting and underwater grave robbing," said CDS President Evan T. Allard. "Shipwrecks are part of our historical and cultural heritage. For scuba divers, shipwrecks are fascinating underwater museums that must be fully protected for our children, our grandchildren and all future generations of divers who will dive deeper and longer thanks to ongoing improvements in diving technology ," Allard added. "It is absolutely imperative that the global scuba diving community, archaeologists, coast guards, police and tax authorities act now to prevent Leigh Bishop, Brad Sheard, David Morton (of the Boston Sea Rovers) and other shipwreck looters from exploiting and destroying sunken ships for their personal coffee table displays, internet self-promotion schemes, commercial 'museum' profits and tax-evasion scams." If you have information pertaining to the theft and/or sale of wreck artifacts, or desecration of underwater grave sites by Leigh Bishop, Brad Sheard, organized crime gangs or anyone else, please contact CDNN immediately and your information will be passed along to appropriate authorities. REPORT SCUBA LOOTER |
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