SPACE.com -- U.S. Fugitive Arrested for Selling Astronaut Autographs

NASA Sites Block @Home After Hacker Break-in

Stolen Soviet Space Razor Recovered

Atlanta Man Admits Trying to Sell Bogus Moon Rock


	U.S. Fugitive Arrested for Selling Astronaut Autographs By Robert Pearlman posted: 07:31 am ET 08 September 2000

A U

(collectSPACE) -- A U.S. citizen, wanted in Arizona for the alleged $90,000 sale of fake lunar soil, was arrested in Canada September 2 after he was found selling astronaut autographs for a nonexistent charity.

Richard Keith Mountain, 53, fled with his wife and two children to the Canadian province of British Columbia after U.S. Marshals issued a warrant for his arrest. Arriving in the country on August 26, Mountain began identifying himself as a representative of the Canadian Cattlemens Association (CCA).

Mountain approached area galleries attempting to sell limited-edition prints autographed by astronauts, including Alan Shepard, Alan Bean and Thomas Stafford. The photographs, marketed as the "American Dream" series, were laminated after the astronauts had autographed them, sometimes causing the ink signatures to bleed.

Mountain attempted to sell autographed prints, like the above example signed by astronaut Alan Shepard, while claiming to represent a nonexistent charity.

While trying to sell the prints, Mountain claimed the proceeds would be donated to a CCA charity organized to send area children to space camp.

After selling a few individual pieces for $160 each, Mountain reportedly tried to arrange a fourth, larger sale for $8,000 with a gallery in Surrey, near Vancouver, British Columbia. The owner, however, became suspicious after noticing the phones caller ID indicated Mountains number belonged to a hotel. The owner then contacted the CCA.

Soon thereafter, Constable Tim Shields of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) received a phone call.

"I was contacted [by the CCA] about a gentleman going by the name of Steven Mountain who was approaching British Columbia-area galleries as a representative of the Association," said Shields in a telephone interview with SPACE.com.

Not only was the CCA unaware of Mountains activities, it had never organized a space-camp fund.

Shields obtained a warrant to enter Mountains hotel room, but upon arriving found that he had fled.

"He jumped out the window, luckily of a first-floor room," recounted Shields. "He then proceeded to climb a barbed-wire fence ripping apart his bare hands, ran through brambles of blackberries, all awhile wearing only boxer shorts and a T-shirt. He finally fell down a ravine, and while he was attempting to climb out we apprehended him."

Mountain, now in the RCMP's custody, is facing three counts of fraud and one count of obstruction. According to Shields, he is then "likely to face deportation to stand trial in the United States."

Mountains troubles with autographs go back to the early 90s. After several years of selling the "American Dream" set and other astronaut-autographed art prints (including one created for the Mercury 7 Foundation), Mountain declared his company, Pacific Coast Galaxy, bankrupt in 1993. Although the court ordered him to surrender all the prints and artwork to a court trustee, and reportedly many were, the bankruptcy was overturned when it was discovered Mountain was still selling photographs and artwork from the series.