Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Informant
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Reported by: Fields Moseley
Friday, Nov 20, 2009 @06:51pm CST
A Utah man, charged with threatening a government informant at the center of a massive artifact looting case, pleaded guilty today.
Charles Armstrong pleaded guilty to retaliation against an informant.
Prosecutors said Armstrong made that threat in June after two dozen people in the Four Corners area were arrested for stealing Native American artifacts from public land and selling them.
Armstrong was apparently very upset not only about the arrests, but the resulting suicide of Doctor James Redd who killed himself after he was indicted. Redd was Armstrong's physician.
In an earlier court hearing, it was said, Armstrong learned who the informant was from Jeanne Redd, James Redd's wife, who has been sentenced to probation.
Authorities said Armstrong told numerous people he would tie the informant to a tree and beat him with a baseball bat.
Armstrong's attorney said he was on medication when he made the statements and was never going to hurt anyone.
"I don't know whether he would have carried them out," said U.S. Attorney Carlie Christensen, "and I won't speculate about that."
Under this plea deal prosecutors recommended armstrong spend a year in prison, but the maximum penalty is 20 years and a 250-thousand dollar fine. The judge will make a decision February 1, 2009.
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