Two brothers were indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday and charged with illegally transporting stolen Navajo rugs and other American Indian artifacts from Arizona and Nebraska to Colorado, according to court records unsealed Thursday.
Maxwell Garihan, 51, and Gary Garihan, 45, were arrested on suspicion of stealing the artifacts at the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska and the Hubbell Trading Post in Arizona.
All the artifacts were recovered undamaged, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
One of the brothers sold rugs to a dealer in Denver who did not know that the artifacts were stolen, according to an arrest affidavit.
The Garihans are each facing 10 years in federal prison.
“Recovering all these priceless artifacts undamaged was miraculous,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Eid. “But brilliant detective work definitely helped.”
The case was investigated by the National Park Service, with assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol, the FBI, U.S. Park Police, Colorado Division of Wildlife, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office in Nebraska, and the Omaha Police Department.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or at fcardona@denverpost.com.
