The 'National Treasure' actor agrees to send back the rare skeleton of prehistoric animal after investigation proved that it was illegally smuggled into the U.S.
- December 23, 2015
AceShowbiz -
Nicolas Cage is to return a rare dinosaur skull in his possession to its rightful owner. The "National Treasure" actor has agreed to return the skeleton to Mongolia government after finding out that it was brought to the U.S. illegally from the country.
Cage, 51, purchased the Tyrannosaurus bataar skull for $276,000 from a Beverly Hills gallery, I.M. Chait, in 2007. He reportedly outbid fellow Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio at the auction. The fossil had a certificate of authentication from the gallery.
In July 2014, Cage was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security about the illegal acquisition of the skull. Last week, Preet Bharara, a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit to send back the skull to Mongolia.
It's unclear who smuggled the skull, but Reuters learns that the I.M. Chait gallery previously purchased an illegal dinosaur skeleton from a convicted paleontologist named Eric Prokopi. Neither Nicolas Cage nor the gallery is accused of any wrongdoing.
