Man arrested after selling Hawaiian skull through eBay

A man has been arrested for selling the skull of a Native Hawaiian woman on eBay.  Jerry David Hasson, 55, was charged after he sold the skull to undercover agents working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Officials say the eBay listing included a claim from Hasson that the skull was stolen in 1969 from an archeological excavation site in Maui. Investigation revealed that the skull belonged to a Polynesian woman who lived on the Hawaiian Islands sometime before 1178 and that she was around 50 when she died. Hasson has been charged with violating the federal U.S. Archeological Resources Protection Act. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine if convicted. Hasson is a California resident. This is not the first time that eBay has been involved in the illegal trafficking of human remains. [more ]