The FBI Gets Involved
If you were wondering whether Forrest’s actions were legal, you’re not alone. In fact, according to federal law, digging up Native American artifacts was illegal. From 2006 to 2017, over 20 people have been arrested for illegal excavation projects in all parts of the US. What Forrest did in the past could’ve landed him in jail.
As much as the FBI wanted to handcuff Forrest and place him in prison, the only evidence they had was the ramblings of an 80-year-old senior citizen and a well-written poem. None of the evidence collected against him would hold in court, so the FBI had no choice but to let him off.