The crux of the initial charges center on the purchase of a large number of antiquities by an undercover agent of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Federal Bureau of Investiga
Early in the morning on June 10, the army of federal agents descended on the unsuspecting towns of Blanding and Monticello to make the arrests and execute 12 search warrants.
While local law enforcement officials were informed that the raids would take place several days before the event, they did not participate in the raids.