$25,000 Reward for Information Leading to Recovery of Tribal Relics

A Yakima man pleads guilty to stealing cultural items from the Kalispel Tribe's Northern Quest Resort and Casino.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Washington, 61-year-old Kevin Wissman pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of theft from an Indian tribal organization.

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On Oct. 30, 2020, Wissman took a diorama of five moccasins and one glove from the casino dated back to the 1940s. They were on display in the Heritage Hall of the casino in Airway Heights, Washington. The items were displayed ina shadow box and behind a glass display window at the time Wissman stole them. Those items have not been recovered.

Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office Mike Herrington says those pieces are invaluable.

"These are not just decorative items in a display case, but irreplaceable pieces of the Kalispel's history," Herrington said. "Together with our tribal and federal partners, FBI Seattle will not accept the theft of cultural items and will work to reinforce the consequences of these actions to deter other would-be thieves."

District Judge Thomas Rice set Wissman's sentencing for June 12.

According to tribal council member and general manager of Northern Quest, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the stolen items. To report any information about the wherabouts of these items, you can contact the Kalispel Tribal Police Department.

The FBI and Kalispel Tribal Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case.