Million-Dollar Dinosaur Bone Black Market Busted: Four Charged for Illegal Sales and Export

Four individuals in the United States have been charged for illegally purchasing and reselling paleontological resources, including dinosaur bones, worth over $1 million. Vint Wade, 65, Donna Wade, 67, Steven Willing, 67, and Jordan Willing, 40, are facing multiple felony charges for violating the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act. The accused allegedly purchased, relocated, and exported dinosaur bones from federal territory over a five-year period.

The Wades gathered the paleontological materials to sell them to national merchants and at gem and mineral exhibitions. The Willings mislabeled the dinosaur bones to lower their value before exporting them to China. This illegal activity has caused significant damage, with tens of thousands of pounds of dinosaur bones losing their scientific value. The defendants now face serious consequences for their actions.