Former Cosmodrome Director Found Guilty Stealing Artifacts

The former president and CEO of the Kansas Cosmodrome, Max Ary, has some high-flying friends backing him up as he faces conviction for stealing artifacts from the midwest space museum.

As was reported in Aero-News, Ary was accused in April of stealing artifacts from the Hutchinson, KS museum he helped create, 25 years ago.

Ary maintained his innocence through the entire ordeal, stating NASA and Cosmodrome items he sold were accidentally mixed in with those from his personal collection. In November, he was found guilty by a federal jury of 12 charges -- including theft of government property, wire and mail fraud, and money laundering. Sentencing is expected for January 19.

Several astronauts from the early days of NASA's manned space program -- including Thomas Stafford, Eugene Cernan and Wally Schirra -- feel that Ary got a raw deal, and have set up a website to collect donations to pay Ary's legal expenses.

"General (Tom) Stafford, who is a client of mine and one of the astronauts in the state of Oklahoma, was instrumental in concluding that we ought to do this to assist Max," said Walter Hammert to the Wichita Eagle. "We do anticipate additional astronauts will be contributing because we feel very strongly about this down here, and we think it has been a gross miscarriage of justice for the judicial system to do what they have done to Max Ary."

Hammert, who is a certified public accountant in Oklahoma City, added astronaut Alan Bean had also donated to Ary's defense fund. Contributors to the website are also encouraged to write letters of support for Ary ahead of his sentencing.

Ary faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of mail and wire fraud, as well as a maximum of 10 years in prison and an additional $250,000 fine on the other charges. He was also ordered to give back the $124,140 he made from the sale of the artifacts.

The astronauts who have contributed have given to the museum before, said Hammert.

"And they all feel very strongly about the backstabbing that your yo-yos up in your area have given to Max Ary. That's my observation," he said to the Eagle.

FMI: www.maxarydefensefund.com