Our Own United States Helicopter Pilot Charged with 80 Accounts

Our Own United States Helicopter Pilot Charged with 80 Accounts

By Rachel Armus

 

Edward George Johnson, a Chief Warrant Officer and helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army was convicted and charged with selling stolen antiquites from Egypt. He sold over 80 artifacts to an art dealer in Texas, and were resold to art gallories in New York. The artifacts that he found were mostly pottery dating all the way back to 300 BC and are said to be stolen form the Ma’adi Museum near Cairo. Although they were stolen in 2002, the artifacts were discovered earlier by archeologists in the 1920’s. Johnson was charged with wire frauda nd transportation of stolen property, and can face up to 15 years in prison for it.

I believe that Johnson is guilty for a few reason. One reason being that these artifacts were discovered in a meuseum in Cairo, showing that they rightfully were in Egypt as it is. Johnsons actions were more stealing than looting because looting is taking something out of their natural environment, and in this instance they were stolen from a rightful owner. Also, Johnson did not have any real documentation to show the art dealer in Texas that these artifacts were obtained legally.

Another person that should be charged for these accounts is the art dealer in Texas. He should have asked for legal documentation that showed the artifacts were infact his.

I also believe that the Ma’adi Museum should be held accountable for looting because these artifacts were taken from their natural environments. If the New York gallories are getting these artifacts illegally, wouldn’t it be illegal for the Ma’adi Museam to have them illegally too. It is hard to tell whether any artifacts were obtained legally, so who knows if the other gallory had them legally in the first place considering all of the flaws in the system of antiquity trades.

Comment below and tell us, do you feel that Johnson is the only one that did wrong here? Or do you think that the Museum in Cairo, the dealer in texas and the New york Gallories should be held accountable as well?

 

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/nyregion/07soldier.html?_r=0