22-3-808. Prohibited acts -- penalties. - Montana Statutes

     22-3-808. Prohibited acts -- penalties. (1) After July 1, 1991, unless authorized under this part or by the descendants, tribe, cultural group, or other person, group, or entity to which the board gives control of the human skeletal remains or burial materials under 22-3-805, a person may not:
     (a) purposely or knowingly pilfer, disturb, destroy, or permit pilferage, disturbance, or destruction of a marked, unmarked, unrecorded, registered, or unregistered grave or burial ground or of burial material;
     (b) for commercial use, knowingly possess, buy, sell, transport, barter, or display human skeletal remains or burial material acquired in violation of this part; or
     (c) purposely or knowingly disclose information knowing that it is highly probable that the disclosure will lead to pilferage, disturbance, or destruction of a burial site.
     (2) A person convicted under the provisions of subsection (1)(a) may be fined an amount not to exceed $1,000, be imprisoned in the county jail for not more than 6 months, or both. A person convicted of a subsequent violation of subsection (1)(a) may be fined an amount not to exceed $20,000, be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
     (3) A person convicted under the provisions of subsection (1)(b) may be fined an amount not to exceed $50,000, be imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.
     (4) A person convicted under the provisions of subsection (1)(c) may be fined an amount not to exceed $500, be imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both. A person convicted of a subsequent violation of subsection (1)(c) may be fined an amount not to exceed $10,000, be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
     (5) A person who knowingly fails to give notice as required by 22-3-805(1) may be fined an amount not less than $100 or more than $500.
     (6) A person who violates a provision of this section or any term or condition of a permit issued under 22-3-806 is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $2,000 for the first violation and not to exceed $10,000 for a subsequent violation.

     History: En. Sec. 8, Ch. 748, L. 1991.