Warnings Issued About Theft of Shuttle Debris

Nacogdoches Sun-Sentinal ^ | Today | Staff

[Arkinsaw]

Officials with the U.S. Attorney’s office, Eastern District of Texas, issued strong warnings Saturday afternoon to those who tamper with or attempt to take debris of the space shuttle Columbia.

United States Attorneys Matthew D. Orwig and Michael Shelby jointly announced that their offices will take “all necessary steps to ensure that the monumental investigative and recovery efforts following the tragic accident are not impaired by the actions of those who seek to obtain pieces of debris,” according to a press release.

While it was widely reported that debris from the accident could hazardous, and contact with that debris should be avoided, people should also be aware that it is a federal offense to “knowingly and without authority remove, conceal or withhold a part of the civil aircraft involved in an accident or property on the aircraft at the time of the accident ...” A conviction is punishable by imprisonment up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine.

As news that shuttle debris was being found scattered within the city of Nacogdoches and across the county, law enforcement officers found themselves dealing with not only securing and verifying debris, but also keeping people from taking the debris.

Dr. Paul Risk, professor of forestry at SFA and a volunteer with the local Skywarn organization, which was assisting officers in their attempts to document and secure the debris, witnessed one such incident the U.S. Attorney’s office warned against.

Risk said a group of five to six people were watching over what appeared to a PC board found in the passing lane in the intersection of Martinsville Road and University Drive when a woman in a 2000 blue Volkswagen stopped, jumped out of her car wearing a while plastic bag over her hand, scooped up the debris and began walking away.

“We asked her, ‘What are you doing?’ and she said, ‘None of your business,’ got back in her care and drove off,” he said.

A person in the group took a photo of the car as it left, including the license plate, and notified authorities, he said.

“We flagged down a police car, and they ran the information, found out who she was and where she lived,” Risk said. “I hope they pursue it.
“That sort of thing is ghoulish, to start with, and I understand that some debris showed up briefly on E-Bay earlier, before it was stopped,” he said. “People are funny.”

He said the woman appeared to be in her late 20s or early 30s and had three children in her vehicle.

Other similar reports could be heard over police scanner traffic into Saturday night.

According to Orwig and Shelby, there will be “zero tolerance” for any interference with the gathering of evidence to determine the cause of the space shuttle accident, the release said. Violators will be “vigorously investigated and prosecuted” by appropriate federal law enforcement authorities of the United States Department of Justice.

At one point Saturday morning, someone was trying to auction off a piece of the shuttle on e-Bay, but the site quickly pulled the item

[flying Elvis]

There's also a backlash against some Ebay sellers. Check out this guy's profile. He began selling photos downloaded from Nasa's website this morning.

http://cgi2.aol.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=cadattack&page=1&items=25

[Bogey78O]

Wonderful. Especially since he's selling photos Nasa has for free on it's server.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Wow! The coin started at $9.99 and went for $13,101!

[Centurion2000]

E-Bay is jammed with Columbia memorabilia right now. Some of the coins etc are fetching over 1K.

Is it just me or does this seem kinda ghoulish ??

[SSN558]

"Hydrazine is extremely toxic; it is absorbable through the skin."

To be more exact Mono Mythel Hydrazine as used on the OMS engines and numerous pocket rockets on the shuttle. The white ammonia smelling vapor from Hydrazine is kool-aid compared with MMH. One would be suprised how this stuff can survive inside of small machinery parts weeks after a fire.

[brityank]

... people should also be aware that it is a federal offense to “knowingly and without authority remove, conceal or withhold a part of the civil aircraft involved in an accident or property on the aircraft at the time of the accident ...”

I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV -- but pray tell, which civil aviation group owns the Shuttle fleet? If your going to bring charges, it had better be "theft of government property"!

[Aaron_A]

I could never buy something like that...it would haunt me the rest of my life.

[Aaron_A]

Check these out...official patches. I heard a report that someone found one of these on a Texas highway, singed but intact. Ironic. :(

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3205209119&category=13904

[Centurion2000]

Buncha damn ghouls ....

[Bogey78O]

I wouldn't shed a tear if one of those infamous internet stalkers tracked that guy down and ripped his testicles off.

[TXBubba]

Since it was put up for auction several days ago I don't find it ghoulish at all. It's not like it went up today. Now those that went up today are obviously trying to cash in.

[Aaron_A]

That 13k coin is ok, it was put up 7 days ago...but a lot of stuff, like those patches above have been put up today. IMO that is sick.

[hole_n_one]

Per MSNBC and the FNC, "souvenir" finders are now seeking medical attention by the dozens.

Everything from burnt hands to feeling "sick".

[Karsus]

Yes, we can't have people cashing in on ebay. That might take away from all the senators attempting to cash in on this disaster.

[Bogey78O]

I find it absolutely reprehensible and sub-democrat for that one seller who was selling the pictures he got for free.

[Arkinsaw]

but pray tell, which civil aviation group owns the Shuttle fleet? If your going to bring charges, it had better be "theft of government property"!

Depends on how they interpret "civil". If they interpret it as "not military" then it might work. If they interpret it as "commercially owned" then it wouldn't. Theft of Government Property would work in either case. There may be Texas laws about removing evidence from the scene of an accident that might apply also.

[OldFriend]

IMHO James Kallstrom kept the secrets of TWA 800.......and for that he deserves no respect. I was sorry that Pataki hired him to work for the state of NY.

[petuniasevan]

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster Archive ^

[TXBubba]

It doesn't bother me if people want to sell memorabilia about Columbia..that happens with every historical event. I do think to jump in the very day seven people die is sick. The stuff will still be worth something at a later date if it is really worth something at all.