Unauthorized Yellowstone park guide sentenced for illegal activities

Information Release Day: July 18, 2021

Get hold of: Mark Trimble, (307) 772-2124

Acting United States Lawyer Bob Murray declared currently that THEODORE EUGENE GARLAND, age 60 of Edmond, Oklahoma was sentenced on seven counts of unlawful functions and violations in Yellowstone Countrywide Park (YNP). Garland appeared in entrance of Justice of the peace Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Nationwide Park, Wyoming on July 2, 2021, for the sentencing.

Theodore Garland has a social-media web page, a podcast, and a guidebook. All 3 have overlapping photographs and posts about his guided excursions in YNP, which violated closures and other park polices and inspired website visitors to do the same. Some of the illustrations bundled delivering unauthorized guided excursions trespassing on thermal grounds violating swimming closures and cliff leaping producing “hot pots in rivers” and disturbing wildlife.

Garland was charged with 15 counts of illegal functions and violating countrywide park laws. Soon after listening to the evidence at a bench trial held on April 7 and 8, 2021, Decide Carman found Garland guilty on seven counts.

At sentencing, the government requested that Garland be imprisoned for 30 times, served concurrently, on all counts pay a great of $750 for every single rely make a Community Services Payment of $750 for every single rely five several years of unsupervised probation and that he obtain a ban from Yellowstone Nationwide Park for five decades.

Choose Mark Carman sentenced Garland on the seven counts, ensuing in a seven working day jail sentence a overall of $600 in fines and service fees a a person-time payment of $500 to Yellowstone Endlessly Geological Resource Fund and a ban from Yellowstone National Park until eventually December 31, 2021. He was also purchased to write an introduction/ahead to his guidebook speaking respect for the park and getting rid of references of illegal action by July 16, 2021. Garland will provide five a long time of unsupervised probation and shall “not boost violations of legislation in the national parks in any way.” 

“Enforcing federal felony legislation for the security of our national parks’ methods will often remain a precedence of the United States Attorney’s office environment in Wyoming,” stated Acting United States Legal professional, Bob Murray. “That is specially real when a felony enthusiastic by greed, like Mr. Garland, encourages other folks to dedicate far more crimes and trigger extra injury to the treasures of
America’s initially national park.”

This case was taken care of by the Nationwide Park Company and prosecuted by Assistant United States Lawyer Stephanie Hambrick.

For thoughts relating to Yellowstone National Park, please make contact with the General public Affairs Place of work at 307-344-2015 or yell_general [email protected]