Denies Any Wrongdoing

The following statement was published in the Wichita Eagle Thursday, the day 55-year old Max Ary was accused in a federal indictment of stealing artifacts from the museum he once ran. The former director of the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center will appear in a Hutchison, KS, federal court on April 27th.

Max Ary is proud of his past association with the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, as its founder and leader for more than 26 years. He is also proud that he has been a pioneer in the preservation of space history for more than a quarter of century.

Mr. Ary and his attorneys, including former federal prosecutors and investigators, have been looking into these matters for more than a year and the inquiry is ongoing. Based on that investigation Mr. Ary intends to defend his innocence against any charge that he harmed the Cosmosphere or the federal space program.

Mr. Ary’s defense will certainly contend that his actions in dealing with tens of thousands of space items during his tenure at the Cosmosphere complied with the policies of the Cosmosphere’s Board of Directors.

It is important to remember that Max Ary is presumed to be innocent, and any charges are merely accusations.

FMI: www.cosmo.org