Phillip C. Morse, 42; Donald Snowberger, 44; and Woodard J. Cresswell, 33, all of Moab, are accused of damaging the Side Canyon Rock Shelter on Bureau of Land Management property near Moab. They were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City on charges of violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and damaging property of the United States.

The first count carries a term of up to two years behind bars and the second has a 10-year maximum. The maximum fine for violating each law is $250,000.

The alleged violations took place Dec. 2, 1998, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A spokeswoman said these cases often take years to come to court because experts must assess the damage.

The indictment says that the site consists of material remains of human life and activity dating to the Basketmaker Period.

The Anasazi came to Utah around A.D. 400, bringing their basketmaker cultural traditions, according to the Utah State Historical Society.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D4.