Beckley native, now a Houston attorney, is representing the president of Mongolia in a case to determine whether dinosaur fossils recently auctioned in New York were illegally obtained.

Just a few days before the Heritage Auctions “Natural History” auction of an 8-foot-tall, 24-foot-long Tarbosaurus, a cousin of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia contacted Robert Painter, formerly of Beckley, who has represented him previously in other cases.

 “Mongolia is where most of the dinosaur fossils in the world have been found. There has been a problem here because of the vast desserts; people have looted these dinosaurs, even though it is illegal to export them.”

Painter had a court order signed by a judge, then flew to New York to attend the auction and deliver the order, ensuring the dinosaur would be held until its origin could be determined.

The dinosaur sold for $1,052,500 at the auction. He said the auctioneers became more cooperative of the investigation and have since stored the fossil in a secure location.
Painter said three paleontologists examined the dinosaur Tuesday to establish its origin and they plan to write a full report.

The fossil was purchased by the current owner in Japan in 2006, according to Painter, but he says there is no original paperwork that shows where the dinosaur was obtained and whether the transaction was legal.

There is, however, documentation that shows the dinosaur was transported legally into the United States. Painter said he is unsure how it will be determined that the dinosaur was exported illegally, but a law was established in Mongolia in 1961 that made the export of fossils unlawful. He said that if the paleontologists agree that the fossil is not from Mongolia, they hope to make an agreement with the winner of the auction.

Before the lawsuit was filed, the winner had planned on putting the dinosaur in a private gallery.

Until then, “It’s not going anywhere until the court decides.”

The Register Herald.com