The enigmatic vanishing of vintage Kalispel tribal artifacts from the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, Wash., four years back has been partially resolved. This occurred after Kevin William Wissman, 61, dramatically altered his plea to guilty during a federal court session in Spokane, Wash., on Wednesday. 

“I did take them. I took them from the casino,” Wissman told Judge Thomas Rice, as reported by The Spokane Review.

Nonetheless, the cultural items — five baby moccasins and a leather glove adorned with vibrant beads — are still unaccounted for. The Kalispel Tribe of Indians maintains a $25K reward for tips that result in the recovery of the items.

"To the Kalispel Tribe, these are not just decorative items in a display case, but rather priceless and irreplaceable pieces of the Kalispel’s history,” said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office.

“Together with our tribal and federal partners, FBI Seattle will not accept the theft of cultural items and will work to reinforce the consequences of these actions to deter other would-be thieves.”

Surveillance Video Captured Larceny 

The artifacts, created in the 1940s, were exhibited in a shadow box within the casino’s Heritage Hall. 

The FBI recognized Wissman from surveillance video that captured a man arriving at the casino parking garage as a passenger in a Nissan Titan pickup truck at approximately 12:30 a.m. on October 30, 2020. The individual thought to be Wissman entered Heritage Hall, paused at the display case, forced the lock, and took the items. 

Wissman, hailing from Yakima, roughly 200 miles southwest of the casino, possesses a lengthy criminal record that encompasses convictions for burglary, firearm theft, forgery, possession of stolen goods, and kidnapping. 

In October 2023, a federal grand jury indicted him on a misdemeanor charge of theft from an Indian tribal organization, but his location was unknown then. 

Wissman was ultimately apprehended during a traffic stop close to Yakima in January 2025. 

Northern Quest Casino Reacts

“We’re grateful to the Kalispel Tribal Police Department and the FBI for tracking down the person responsible for the theft of these cherished family heirlooms,” said Nick Pierre, general manager of Northern Quest casino.

"While we hope justice will be served, it doesn’t make up for the fact that the items have still not been recovered,” he added.

Pierre urged anyone possessing information to reach out to the Kalispel Tribal Police Department at 509-481-4444. 

Wissman is presently held in the Spokane County jail under a US Marshal’s detainment. He is set to be sentenced on June 12.