I have been asked to write this letter by a friend and colleague in the
meteorite community.
There has been major theft of rare and valuable material being shipped
from Tucson. Specimens were taken from a shipping box after placement with a
shipping company in Tucson. Specimens were then replaced by pieces of asphalt
and the box was then shipped to my friend at his home. Investigation with the
shipper and by the police at the point of destination revealed who was
responsible for taking the material. That person was contacted and has
admitted taking the pieces, but he is refusing to return the material using the
leverage of alleged customs violations. My friend wants his material back
without conditions and doesn't want it tied up in a long court case. The
perpetrator does not think my friend is serious about pressing charges and will
not seek return of his material. I can assure this list that my friend is
serious and will press charges if the material is not returned. The evidence is
overwhelming.
My friend has prepared a web page of the missing material which we will
share with the list if this matter is not resolved by tomorrow. Until then,
people on this list need to be very careful about what they buy and who they
buy it from. If you are buying planetary or museum label pieces or have been
offered such pieces, please take extreme care. The quantity of material is
quite large. You are welcome to contact me to if you have a question about a
specific piece you are considering.
At this time our concern is getting the material back in good shape.
We are not identifying those involved. If charges are brought--and if this is
not resolved immediately, we expect charges would be within a week--then of
course the names would be known then.
Eric Twelker
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