Israel indicts five, including owner of so-called 'James ossuary'

Published: 2005-01-05

JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Israeli police charged five people -- including the owner of the so-called "James ossuary" -- with 17 counts of antiquities forgery and fraud. A 27-page indictment in a Jerusalem court was based on a two-year investigation involving the Jerusalem police and the Israel Antiquities Authority. The charges include forgery, receiving fraudulent goods and damaging antiquities. More than 100 witnesses are listed in the indictment. Shuka Dorfman, Israel Antiquities Authority director, said that if the suspects are found guilty they will face "many years" in prison; each count carries the possibility of seven years' jail time. The five suspects, including Oded Golan, owner of an ossuary he alleged was linked to a brother of Jesus, are suspected of running a sophisticated forgery ring that has operated in various configurations for more than 20 years, said Dorfman.

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