02-573
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Former Concession Employee Sentenced on Sexual Assault
On October 17, S.B.H., 40, formerly of San Francisco and
the Mammoth Hot Springs area of the park, was sentenced on a charge of
felony sexual abuse in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne, Wyoming. S.B.H., a
former Xanterra Parks and Resorts employee, was convicted in mid-October
following a voluntary change of plea. S.B.H. was not offered a plea
bargain by prosecutors due to the severity of the crime and the strength
of evidence developed during the investigation. The investigation was
begun in late April of this year when a 21-year-old Xanterra Parks and
Resorts employee came forward with a complaint of being sexually
assaulted while in an extremely intoxicated condition. Yellowstone
special agents worked with Mammoth Subdistrict rangers to locate and
interview the suspect, victim and critical witnesses and to develop
other evidence. Xanterra Parks and Resorts demonstrated a strong
commitment to combating the problem of "acquaintance" sexual assault
through their excellent cooperation with investigators and their
continued assistance to the victim during the investigation. Previous
community oriented policing efforts by rangers significantly contributed
to the success of the investigation during witness location and
interview efforts. S.B.H. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Alan
B. Johnson to 51 months in federal prison, followed by three years of
supervised probation. S.B.H. was also ordered by the court to undergo any
sex offender treatment deemed necessary and to register as a sex
offender in any state where he resides following his release. This is
the third sexual assault conviction resulting from crimes committed in
Yellowstone this year and several other investigations are on-going. Law
enforcement staff at Yellowstone are pursuing so-called "acquaintance"
sexual assaults based on an increased understanding that many of these
crimes are committed by sex offenders who simply opt to use a more
cunning method to commit their assaults.
[Submitted by Chris
Fors, Special Agent, Branch of Law Enforcement Services]
02-574
Big Bend National Park (TX)
Marijuana Plantation in Park Found and Destroyed
On October 29 and 30, rangers, members of a DEA drug task force and
Border Patrol agents, supported by a Border Patrol UH-1 helicopter,
conducted a search in heavy mesquite brush and river cane for a reported
marijuana plantation within the park near the banks of the Rio Grande
down river from Castolon. During the afternoon, U.S. marshals arrived in
the park with two Mexican Judicial Federal Police officers who had
recently arrested two Mexican nationals in Santa Elena, Mexico (just
across the border from Castolon), with freshly harvested marijuana in
their possession. The Mexican police provided information that helped
pinpoint the site. Late in the day, the site was finally located in
thick brush by the crew in the helicopter. Rangers and Border Patrol
officers remained on scene overnight, and an investigation/eradication
operation was conducted the next day. The large site was set back about
20 yards from the river and was well concealed by thick mesquite and
river cane. The vegetation under the canopy had been cleared and garden
rows extended 200 to 300 yards parallel to the river bank. To avoid
detection by river patrols, the growers had hand dug a 20-foot-deep
well, then piped the water to the garden through PVC pipe. A small jacal
or dug-out dwelling was used by the growers who lived at the site during
the operation. Four hundred live plants, with a street value of
$704,000, were pulled and confiscated. Evidence indicates that a large
number of plants had been rapidly pulled sometime prior to the discovery
of the site. A conservative estimate of the size of the garden placed
the total number of plants at 1,400, with a street value of $2,464,000.
Physical evidence was gathered by the task force in an attempt to tie
the individuals arrested in Mexico to the plantation. Documentation of
resource impacts and site cleanup are continuing.
[Submitted
by Chief Ranger's Office]
02-575
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (AZ)
Marijuana Smuggling Arrests and Seizures
Rangers made two drug cases on October 28. A 1980 Chevy truck with an
overhead camper shell was stopped on suspicion of having illegally
entered the country. The truck's registration had expired and was not
valid for highway use. The driver had a suspended license, no proof of
insurance, and no registration for the truck. A consent search was
conducted that led to the discovery of 218 pounds of marijuana in a
false compartment under the overhead bed. Stanley Dunn, 22, and Stefanie
Tingle, 20, both of Louisville, Kentucky, were arrested for possession
of narcotics. Both later admitted to having been offered $1500 to
deliver the truck to Phoenix. The money was to be paid after the vehicle
was delivered. The case is being handled by NPS special agent Susan
Morton and a Customs agent. That same day, rangers stopped a 1999 Ford
Taurus station wagon suspected of illegally entering the country. The
driver consented to a search of his vehicle, and rangers found 296
pounds of marijuana inside a false compartment under the rear seat and
trunk. Customs and Border Patrol officers assisted.
[Submitted by Chief Ranger's Office]
02-576
Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Arson Investigation
Two separate arson cases, both involving molotov cocktails, occurred
in the park in the early morning hours during the week of October 20.
The incendiary devices were placed south of the Tupelo Visitor Center in
the vicinity of the McCullough Boulevard exit. In both cases, the
ignited molotov cocktails were concealed between logs or branches and
left burning in the middle of the parkway. Both incendiary devices were
initially discovered by Tupelo Police Department officers. In the most
recent incident, a Tupelo officer was responding to an off-parkway call
when he ran over the branches. When he realized he had struck an object,
the officer looked in his rearview mirror and saw three to five-foot
flames in the roadway. The officer, suspicious of a possible ambush,
backed up his vehicle, took cover, and requested back-up. Tupelo
District DR Kim Korthuis responded. Once the scene was declared safe,
the officers extinguished the fire. There are no suspects at this time,
but a multi-agency investigation with Tupelo PD is underway.
[Submitted by Jackie Henman, Assistant Chief Ranger]
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.