The conviction of Frederick Schultz is the most recent turn in a storm
of controversy that began 25 years ago and does not appear to be dying
down. Schultz is currently serving a prison term and owes a fine of
$50,000 to the United States government. He was convicted under the
National Stolen Property Act (NSPA) for conspiring to purchase Egyptian
antiquities that, according to Egyptian law, were owned by the Egyptian
government. The Schultz case is the latest in an emerging trend
whereby the NSPA, enacted to permit criminal federal prosecution for
stolen cars taken across state borders, has been applied to help foreign
governments with national ownership laws to keep antiquities within their
borders.