You may remember that in February last year, a fossil dealer was arrested for smuggling a Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton out of Mongolia and trying to sell it at auction. The fossil dealer, Eric Prokopi (NOT a palaeontologist, as some reports would have you believe; it'd be the same as calling an black market art dealer an 'artist') has been found guilty of the charges laid against him, and sentenced to 3 months in jail.
His defence lawyer argued that Prokopi shouldn't spend any time in jail, because he helped police locate around 17 other smuggled dinosaur fossils. But Prokopi didn't offer this information up of his own free will while he was still actively smuggling fossils: he only helped the police after he was arrested. I don't really think we need to thank him for that.
His defence lawyer argued that Prokopi shouldn't spend any time in jail, because he helped police locate around 17 other smuggled dinosaur fossils. But Prokopi didn't offer this information up of his own free will while he was still actively smuggling fossils: he only helped the police after he was arrested. I don't really think we need to thank him for that.
