acting U.S. Attorney led about 35 F.B.I. agents and 20 National Guardsmen on a raid on the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Larson's company. The federal agents seized the skeleton of Sue, along with other fossils and records. Larson and associates believed they were excavating "Sue" on private land, and had paid the owner $5,000 for the fossil, before its complete excavation and before its scientific attributes were known. However, the U.S. Attorney charged that the fossil had been illegally taken from land under Federal administration, because the deeded land fell within the borders of a Native American reservation and the parcel itself was held in "trust" by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the benefit of its Native landowner. This provision was understood by both parties, but was not relevant at the time of excavation, since fossils, like gravel or oil, could be "severed" from the land. Owners of land held in trust could sell severable resources, but required federal oversight to sell real estate. In 1994, a Federal court changed precedent and made an unforeseen ruling, calling "Sue" part of the real estate and therefore claiming that the landowner should have received permission to sell the fossil. Although the sale of the fossil was claimed to be legitimate at the time it occurred, it was vacated by the new ruling, and "Sue's" ownership reverted to the landowner. After the sale to the Field Museum, the landowner received $7.6 million; Larson's company received no compensation, even though it had expended upwards of $1 million in excavation and preparation of the fossil. Following a subsequent trial on "charges mostly related to trafficking in fossils" unrelated to the "Sue" T. rex find, Larson was convicted of two felonies and two misdemeanors. Most of the other were dismissed, and the felonies—which involved customs reporting—were fraught with controversy, as government witnesses had categorized Larson's actions as lawful. Richard Battey, the judge who refused to recuse himself several times during the highly publicized case, sentenced Larson to two years in federal prison, although the convictions would normally have resulted in probation. Battey enhanced the sentence so that Larson served time as if he had been convicted of more crimes than he was. In interviews after the case, jurors stated that 11 of 12 initial votes were for complete acquittal. Legacy Larson has developed a controversial standing in his field. On one hand, he