FBI records deepen mystery of dig for Civil War-era gold

(18 Feb 2023)

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4420218

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

FBI HANDOUT VIDEO
Dents Run, Pennsylvania – 13 March 2018
1. Backhoe digging in dirt
HEADLINE:
FBI records deepen mystery of dig for Civil War-era gold

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Weedville, Pennsylvania - 20 September 2018
2. River
ANNOTATION: In 1863, according to legend, a shipment of Union gold disappeared on its way to the U.S. Mint.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clearfield, Pennsylvania - 6 January 2023
3. Dennis Parada displaying several large drill bits
ANNOTATION: Dennis Parada, a treasure hunter, searched for it for years.

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Parada, Finders Keepers: 
“You know, I spent seven years proving that the gold was in the ground.
5. Dennis Parada displaying several large drill bits
6. ANNOTATION: In 2018, he told The Associated Press how he and his son found evidence of something large and metallic buried in the woods.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Dents Run, Pennsylvania - 20 September 2018
7. Cave
ANNOTATION: Paradas also informed of the FBI of the findings.

FBI HANDOUT VIDEO
++REDACTED AT SOURCE ++
Dents Run, Pennsylvania – 13 March 2018
8. FBI agents using metal detector.
ANNOTATION: The FBI began an excavation while the Paradas were kept at bay.
ANNOTATION: The FBI said the dig came up empty.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clearfield, Pennsylvania - 6 January 2023
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Parada, Treasure hunter at Finders Keepers:
"We brought them up here in the snow, set the GPL up, and set the test off and the machine lit up gold. I mean, it was bright. The light bulb almost blew out."

FBI HANDOUT VIDEO
++REDACTED AT SOURCE++
Dents Run, Pennsylvania – 13 March 2018
10. Various, excavating machine scooping dirt as FBI agents watch.
ANNOTATION: Parada's dispute with the FBI is now playing out in federal court.
ANNOTATION: Under court order, the FBI has released a trove of photos, redacted videos and other documents involving its secretive search.
ANNOTATION: Parada and his advisers accuse the FBI of distorting evidence and withholding records.
ANNOTATION: They say it's an apparent effort to conceal the recovery of gold.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clearfield, Pennsylvania - 6 January 2023
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Parada, Finders Keepers: 
“We feel we were double crossed and lied to.
12. Parada gesturing at laptop
ANNOTATION: Parada says the records don’t support the FBI’s official timeline. One issue is the presence or absence of snow in the FBI photos and the timing of the storm.
13.UPSOUND (English) Dennis Parada, Finders Keepers
"You can’t have sun, highlights, shadows, and no snow, and say that was taken at 6:45, minutes before total darkness."

FBI HANDOUT
Dents Run, Pennsylvania - 13-14 March 2018
13. FBI photos of the excavation.
ANNOTATION: He says the FBI dug at night, when operations were supposed to have paused.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARCHIVE: Dents Run, Pennsylvania - 20 September 2018
14. Cheryl Elder holding infant
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Cheryl Elder, Dents Run, Pennsylvania resident who lives near dig site:
"You could hear the noise, and I was like...I looked and that whole hillside...I said, it was so bright. They had the biggest lights out there."

FBI HANDOUT
Dents Run, Pennsylvania - 13-14 March 2018
++REDACTIONS AT SOURCE++
ANNOTATIONS: The FBI denies it dug overnight and defends its handling of the records.

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clearfield, Pennsylvania - 6 January 2023
SOUNDBITE (English) Dennis Parada, Finders Keepers: 

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