Spring Hill couple illegally dug up over 200 artifacts, FWC says
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Spring Hill couple was accused of digging up over 200 artifacts from an archeological site in the Withlacoochee State Forest.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers arrested Zane Golas, 35, and Amanda Hahn, 34, on Wednesday.
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According to a FWC news release, officers spent two days watching the couple dig around the Lizzie Hart Sink, which was identified by the state as an archeological site. They found the pair excavating an area surrounded by palm fronds, which they admitted to illegally cutting down, FWC said.
“They tried to be sneaky by hiding their site behind palm fronds they cut down and placed around the area (also a violation), but our officers saw through the ploy,” the agency wrote in a social media post.
(FWC) (FWC)
Golas and Hahn were caught with 179 and 45 artifact pieces, respectively, according to FWC. The agency shared photos on social media showing some of the artifacts, tools and a handgun, which were seized by officers.
They were each charged with excavating, removing or attempting to remove, deface, destroy or otherwise alter an archaeological site on land owned or controlled by the state of Florida, and booked into the Citrus County Jail.
The couple was the subject of a Better Call Behnken report in 2020, when they faced legal action over a dispute with their utility company.
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