Joseph Gutheinz
Joseph Richard Gutheinz (born August 13, 1955) is an American attorney, college instructor, commissioner, writer, and former Army intelligence officer, Army aviator, and Federal law enforcement officer.[1] He is known as the founder of the "Moon Rock Project" which aims to track down missing Apollo Moon rock samples.[2]
Education and career
Joseph Gutheinz's father was a lieutenant colonel in the US Marines and a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and his mother, Rita O’Leary Gutheinz, was a Marine Corps enlisted woman.[3][4][5][6] He holds six college degrees from Monterey Peninsula College,
Gutheinz is also the founder of the law practice Gutheinz Law Firm, LLP. Two of his sons are partners in the firm, both of whom are also Army veterans as he is.[3]
NASA Office of Inspector General cases
Gutheinz led the Omniplan task force investigation, which determined that Omniplan, a NASA contractor, was submitting false claims to NASA. The company had claimed it was leasing through three companies that were in fact shell companies controlled by Omniplan's owner Ralph Montijo. Gutheinz created the task force with 25 agents, inspectors, auditors and a financial analyst from eight agencies. The investigation led to the closure of seven companies, making it one of the highest profile in NASA history at that time.[25][26][27] Gutheinz subsequently gave a speech to the International Business Forum about the Omniplan case, a speech attended by one of the principal defense attorneys in that case.[28][29]
In the 1990s Gutheinz also served as the case agent in a joint investigation with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General investigating the Arkansas Aerospace Education Center.[30] Gutheinz led the Rockwell, United Space Alliance and Boeing North America task force investigation that resulted in a Federal civil lawsuit and an out of court settlement. In the civil suit the government alleged that Rockwell Space Operation's Company knew of Omniplan's fraudulent leases and failed to properly disclose that information to NASA or law enforcement.[31][32] Gutheinz also investigated and arrested Jerry Alan Whittredge, an astronaut impersonator.[33] Gutheinz also investigated the Russian space program and a fire and collision on the Mir space station.[34][35]
Operation Lunar Eclipse
Gutheinz led and went undercover in Operation Lunar Eclipse, a
Federal service awards
Gutheinz has received awards from six Federal agencies and one state for his governmental service. These awards include the
Aviation safety and security
Gutheinz has been on American news shows and been quoted in print publications about aviation safety and security.[51][52][53] His activism over aviation safety and security began when he was a student aviator and saw a friend die in a helicopter crash at the U.S. Army flight school and continued thereafter with his past assignments as a Special Agent with The FAA Civil Aviation Security; a Special Agent for U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General; a Senior Special Agent with NASA Office of Inspector General and as an advisor and spokesperson for the Coalition for an Airline Passenger Bill of Rights.[54][55] Gutheinz is an advocate for greater transparency in NASA.[56][57] Since retiring from NASA, he has been critical of NASA's handling of the Columbia disaster and post-Columbia decisions.[58][59][60] He has also been critical of the lack of policing for American air balloon pilots.[61][62] Gutheinz has been a critic of the FAA’s lack of scrutiny over the foreign registration of aircraft.[63]
The Moon Rock Project
Gutheinz created and led The Moon Rock Project at the University of Phoenix, a project where criminal justice graduate students investigated and tracked down missing Apollo 11 lunar samples and Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rocks.[64][65][66]
Moon rocks retained by state governors
Gutheinz and his students have assisted in successfully tracking down 79 missing Apollo 11 lunar samples and Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rocks and plaques, including three that were retained by Governor
Cyprus' Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock
In 2009 Associated Press reporter Toby Sterling took interest in Gutheinz's Moon Rock Project and then enlisted the efforts of other AP reporters. With Gutheinz's assistance they tracked down additional Moon rocks.[71][72] Gutheinz determined that both the Cyprus Apollo 11 lunar samples and Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock, had both been taken or destroyed during Cyprus civil disturbances of 1973 and 1974,[73][74] but later discovered that the Cyprus Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock was in the possession of a deceased American diplomat's child whose father worked at the American Embassy in Cyprus.[75] Following this he made public requests for the rock to be returned.[76] On April 16, 2010 the NASA Office of Inspector General at Johnson Space Center took custody of the rock.[77]
Canada's Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock
In 2002, Gutheinz first assigned his University of Phoenix students to track down Canada's Apollo 17 Moon Rock. Their efforts discerned that the Moon rock and plaque were unaccounted for and believed stolen decades earlier. Gutheinz's students tracked down the Moon rock to a storage facility at the Canadian Museum of Nature. In 2009 Gutheinz and his students pressured Canada and the Museum to place the Canadian Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock on display for the 40th anniversary Apollo 11. The Moon rock was transferred to the Canadian Science and Technology Museum and placed on display in 2009.[78][79][80]
Other Moon rocks
In 2012 Gutheinz traveled to Buffalo, Texas, to look at an alleged Apollo era Moon rock being sold on EBay for $300,000.[81][82] Gutheinz has also been critical of NASA's handling of Moon rocks to include loaned Moon rocks and the lack of security some temporary recipients have provided to America's Apollo era lunar samples.[83]
Moon Rock Project in popular culture
Because of Gutheinz's efforts to find missing and stolen Moon rocks for over a decade he has acquired a nickname: "The Moon Rock Hunter". This nickname was originally given to Gutheinz by his graduate students, as a joking takeoff on "The Crocodile Hunter".[84][85][86][87][88][89] Two documentaries have been made about his investigations, Moon for Sale (2007) and Lunarcy! (2012). Gutheinz's hunt for the late General Francisco Franco's Spanish Apollo 11 Moon Rock has earned him the description as the Van Helsing of Luna Traffickers by the Spanish press.[90][91]
Television and film
In 2013 he and Sandra Shelton were on one episode of Unbelievable Mysteries on the OWN Network.[92] In 2014 Joe Gutheinz appeared on Lost History with Brad Meltzer on the History Channel.[93] In 2015 a documentary about Joe Gutheinz and his students, Missing Moon Rocks, won an Emmy Award for Best Historical Documentary.[94] From 2016 to 2019 Gutheinz appeared in fourteen episodes of NASA's Unexplained Files on the Science Channel.[95] Joe Gutheinz is also acting in a film entitled Operation Lunar Eclipse about his 1998 undercover sting operation of the same name. Filming locations for the movie have included Kennedy Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Washington D.C., Miami, and Honduras. A release date has yet to be determined.[96]
See also
- The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks
- Missouri lunar sample displays
- John D. Vanderhoof
- Arch A. Moore Jr.
- West Virginia lunar sample displays
- Illinois lunar sample displays
- Cyprus lunar sample displays
- Robert Pearlman
- Malta lunar sample displays
- Norway lunar sample displays
- Romania lunar sample displays
- Phoenix (NCIS)
- Jerry M. Linenger
References
- ^ a b Gutheinz, Joseph R. "Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). Alvin Community College. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 19, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (February 7, 2012). "Finding Lost Moon Rocks is His Mission". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ a b "Friendswood Law is "All in the Family"". 27 July 2011.
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- ^ "Press Release". Goddard Space Flight Center. October 1, 2012. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012.
- ^ Orozco, Yvette (June 10, 2007). "New generation in a family tradition: it's service and duty to your country – James Gutheinz". The Pasadena Citizen. p. 1.
- ^ Newpher, Jeff (July 27, 2011). "Friendswood Law is All in the Family". The Friendswood Journal. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ "ACC Students Learn From Mock Trial". Alvin Community College, Ultimate Pearland. August 30, 2012. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013.
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- ^ Morelli, Keith (August 9, 2008). "Tampa airport is on TSA's list to get body-scanning equipment". The Tampa Tribune. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ Steffy, Loren (August 16, 2009). "9 hours in a tin can? There's got to be a better way". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ "Businessman Is Sentenced For Bilking Space Agency". The New York Times. 17 January 1996.
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- ^ "NASA Contractor Admits Multimillion-dollar Fraud: OMNI Contractor admits 179 counts of fraud and embezzlement". Houston Post. February 1, 1995. pp. 1A & 11A.
- ^ Johnson, Laura (February 3, 1995). "Omniplan Owners Plead Guilty". The Citizen. p. 1.
- ^ Cooper, C.R. (January 19, 2000). "Omniplan Defrauded NASA Through Elaborate Scheme". The Citizen. p. 4.
- ^ Gallman, Judith M. (July 5, 1996). "Aero Center spending in the spotlight". Arkansas Times. p. 8.
- ^ Cooper, C.R. (January 19, 2000). "Aerospace Firms Asked to Pay for Fraud". The Citizen. pp. 1 & 13.
- ^ Cooper, C.R. (January 26, 2000). "Space Firms Deny Any Links to Fraud Case". The Citizen. pp. 1 & 4.
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- ^ "Some question NASA experts' objectivity - U.S. Senator Bill Nelson". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
- ^ Roth, Bennett (September 19, 1997). "Wary House Panel Weighs Halting Mir Participation". Houston Chronicle. pp. 1A & 16A.
- ^ "Apollo 17 Moon Rock Recovered: Plan to Sell Rock for $5m". Associated Press. December 8, 1998.
- ^ Gutierrez Henson, Liz (December 16, 1998). "Moon rock business gets man date with feds". The Citizen. Clear Lake, Texas. pp. 1 & 4.
- Galveston Daily News. p. 1.
- ^ Ahuja, Anjana (July 20, 2004). "Lost: the Hottest Rocks on Earth". The Times. London, UK. pp. 8–9.
- ISBN 978-3825892586.
- ^ Ervin, Eric (April 2, 2003). "Moon Rock Going Back to Owner". Clear Lake Citizen. p. 9A.
Gutheinz a special agent from Clear Lake posed as (Tony) Coriasso
- ^ Martens, Kristine (2003). "Case Summary: United States of America v. One Lucite Ball Containing Lunar Material (One Moon Rock) and One Ten Inch by Fourteen Inch Wooden Plaque". 2003 DePaul University Journal of Art and Entertainment Law. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ Gutheinz, Joseph R. (2003). "The Moon Rock Con". collectSPACE. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ "US returns moon rock to Honduras". BBC News. London, UK. September 23, 2003. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ Ervin, Eric (October 1, 2003). "Moon rock finally back in Honduras". The Citizen. Clear Lake, Texas. p. 6A.
- ^ "NASA returns stolen moon rock to Honduras". USA Today. Associated Press. March 1, 2004. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
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- ^ "University of Phoenix Faculty Member Featured in BBC and Discovery Channel Documentaries" (PDF). Online Patriot. 5 (2). University of Phoenix: 5. Summer 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2012.
- ^ "Finding the Missing Moon Rocks (Abstract)". Goddard Space Flight Center Colloquium. October 1, 2012. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013.
- ^ Marquis Who's Who in America. Vol. 1, A–K (58th ed.). 2004. pp. 2066–2067.
- ^ Levin, Alan (February 3, 2003). "Some Question NASA Experts Objectivity: Critics Would Prefer an Outside Body to Look into Shuttle Break-up". USA Today. p. A3.
- ^ Bridis, Ted (AP) (August 29, 2003). "NASA Advised to Clean Out Web Site after Tragedy". Oakland Tribune. p. 6.
Gutheinz said it was inappropriate to remove any documents until investigators reviewed them
- ^ Dunn, Marcia (June 24, 2004). "Risky Spacewalk Bends the Rules". Houston Chronicle. p. A3.
Gutheinz asked if it was safe to send an entire crew out without anyone left behind to monitor systems
- ^ Herbert, Keith (March 2, 2004). "Pilot had a record of intoxication offenses". The Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. B1 & B4.
Gutheinz said a pilot with previous alcohol or drug problems should lose his or her flying privileges
- ^ Sandler, Larry (May 5, 2004). "Air marshals win procedures changes: Undercover agents won't have to sign in publicly, officials say". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ "NASA proposed 'complete scrub' of web site after shuttle disaster". The Daily News. Galveston Texas. Associated Press. August 29, 2003. p. A10.
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- ^ TEGNA. "News 8 Investigates exclusive: Pilots flying under the radar". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
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- ^ Kimberlin, Joanne (September 22, 2005). "Moon Rocks: More Precious than Diamonds". The Virginia-Post. pp. 1, A12 & A13.
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- ^ O'Connor, Colleen (June 1, 2010). "Moon Rocks Given to Colorado Have Vanished". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
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- ^ Millett, Lucy (September 18, 2009). "US Congress may look into missing Cyprus moon rock". Cyprus Mail. Archived from the original on July 15, 2010.
- ^ "Cyprus Moon Rock Found". Cyprus Mail. May 6, 2010.
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- ^ Hewitt, Pat; Fuller, Amy (July 21, 2009). "Moon Rocks in Storage: Ex NASA Officials Says Canada Should Display its Piece of History". The Chronicle Herald. pp. B1 & B2.
- ^ Drudi, Cassandra (July 22, 2009). "Our Bit of the Moon Finally has Day in the Sun". Ottawa Citizen. pp. C1 & C2.
- ^ "Abogado de Houston rastrea piedras lunares desaparecidas" [Houston attorney tracks missing moon rocks]. Terra. 13 May 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ Graczyk, Michael (Associated Press) (May 23, 2012). "Lawyer appeals for of moon rocks: Many given as gifts are now missing". The Washington Times. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ Hyland, Andy (August 6, 2009). "Moon Rock to Land at KU". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
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- ^ Eversley, Melanie (February 19, 2012). "Former NASA Agent Toils to Find Missing Moon Rocks". USA Today. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (February 13, 2012). "Mission: The moon (rocks), Joseph Gutheinz is the finder of lost lunar relics". Ashland Daily Tidings. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ "Moon Rock Hunter". The Bryan Times. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
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- ^ Crowder, Courtney (April 26, 2013). "Review: 'The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks' by Joe Kloc". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ "Cuando los francos robaron la luna".
- ^ "Joseph Gutheinz Jr., el cazador de rocas lunares desaparecidas". ElComercio.com.
- ^ "Lost and Found". 3 January 2013 – via IMDb.
- ^ "Profile". 22 November 2012.
- ^ "Joseph Gutheinz, Attorney". Archived from the original on 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2016-11-23.
- ^ "NASA's Unexplained Files". 27 March 2012 – via IMDb.
- ^ "Houston-area attorney's quest to find moon rocks leads to feature film – Texas Bar Blog". 3 November 2016.
Further reading
- Ritter, Ken (May 18, 2012). "Moon chips from Vegas casino mogul sent to NASA". ArtDaily. Also featured in "NASA to authenticate rocks: Moon rocks were a present to Nicaragua". Columbia Daily Tribune. Associated Press. May 23, 2012. p. 14A.