Wasilla’s ‘Booster Gary,’ Gary Lynn Boyd, has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in the daring theft of a fossilized woolly mammoth tusk from the Campbell Creek Science Center. The irreplaceable paleontological treasure had been on display at the Anchorage BLM museum for nearly two decades.
Boyd, 41, and his co-conspirator, Martin Thornley Elze, meticulously planned their heist. First, they posed as researchers to gather information about the tusk’s authenticity. Then, using a rock to break a window, they made off with the valuable artifact. The video surveillance caught them red-handed.
According to court documents, Boyd and Elze dismembered the tusk and sold it for profit. The mammoth tusk, worth approximately $7,000 to $9,000 in its original state, was never returned to the BLM. Boyd was also ordered to pay $8,385.82 in restitution to the Campbell Creek Science Center.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Office of Law Enforcement and Security and the Anchorage Police Department (APD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonas M. Walker prosecuted the case.
At his sentencing hearing, it was revealed that Boyd had offered his ‘boosting’ services on social media, attracting clients interested in his thieving expertise. Elze, who was sentenced to 33 months alongside Boyd, had faced similar charges.
The sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason includes a three-year supervised release during which Boyd is prohibited from visiting National Parks, National Forests, or BLM land without permission from his probation officer.
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Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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