An Edmond, Oklahoma man will be jailed for 30 days after breaching policies at the Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and illegally guiding visitors to the site on several occasions.
Theodore Eugene Garland, 60, has been hit with 15 counts of illegal activities and violating national park regulations, the USA Today FTW reported.
He was found guilty on seven counts following a bench trial held on April 7 and 8, 2021, acquitting him of other charges that included disturbing a black bear while it was feeding.
Authorities said that Garland posted guided tours in YNP through his online platforms, including a social media page, podcast, and guidebook. His posts aimed at encouraging visitors to visit the venue, violating closures and other park regulations.
His offenses included providing unauthorized guided tours, trespassing on thermal grounds, violating swimming closures, and cliff jumping.
The Associated Press reported that Yellowstone law enforcement ranger Devon Beeny decided to investigate Garland after he posted on Facebook where he was seen cliff-jumping in Firehole Canyon without a permit.
An Apple podcast, Instagram photo, and a Facebook video revealed his other possible violations. It included creating a “hot pot” for swimmers at the base of Mystic Falls on the Little Firehole River, according to court documents filed in the case.
He appeared before Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, on July 2, 2021, for the sentencing. The court ordered him to pay a fine of $750 for each count of illegal activities and violating national park regulations at YNP.
He was also told to make a Community Service Payment of $750 for each count, five years of unsupervised probation, and has been ultimately barred from entering YNP premises for five years.
“Enforcing federal criminal laws for the protection of our national parks’ resources will always remain a priority of the United States Attorney’s office in Wyoming,” Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray said in a statement.
“That is especially true when a criminal motivated by greed, like Mr. Garland, encourages others to commit more crimes and cause more damage to the treasures of America’s first national park.”
The National Park Service handled Garland's case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Hambrick.
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