Intermountain Region
Update on "Operation Cooperation"
During 1999 and 2000, a cooperative interagency investigation
entitled "Operation Cooperation" was conducted to investigate a major
case involving violations of the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Participating in the operation were
investigators from the FBI, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park
Service and Norwegian enforcement authorities. The NPS was asked to
participate due to the Service's technical expertise and commitment to
NAGPRA enforcement. The undercover operation resulted in the recovery of
hundreds of objects of cultural patrimony and the filing of criminal
charges against two men - J.B. and T.C. Both were
found guilty. On January 2, T.C. was sentenced on four misdemeanor
NAGPRA and four felony Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) convictions in
federal district in Albuquerque. The judge sentenced him to four months'
home confinement, three years' probation, a $1,000 fine, and forfeiture
to the government of all of the cultural materials that were seized
during the January, 2000, execution of a search warrant at his
residence. The court ordered that these items be repatriated to the
tribes who have made claims to them. The J.B. sentencing is set for
January 14. He has pled guilty to six MBTA and three NAGPRA violations.
Additional details on the entire case will appear after his sentencing.
[Submitted by Phil Young, Staff Archeologist, Office of Cultural
Affairs, State of New Mexico]
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Felony Drug Conviction Sentencing
On December 23, C.C. was sentenced to twelve months
in federal custody following his conviction on two counts of
distribution of marijuana (21 USC 841). He was also fined and sentenced
to three years' formal probation once he serves his year in federal
custody. C.C.'s guilty plea to felony drug charges and sentence were
the result of an investigation into drug sales in distribution in the
park over the past five years by special agents and rangers. C.C.
was arrested by rangers at Old Faithful last May 9 with 90 grams of
marijuana in his possession. He was also carrying a large quantity of
"Ecstacy;" although not charged with possession of this drug, it
affected his sentence. After his initial release on the park charges, he
was arrested again by the Kansas Highway Patrol, convicted on charges of
possessing illegal drugs in Kansas, and served about three months in
state custody prior to his federal sentencing. Although six different
agencies logged hundreds of hours of work on this investigation, rangers
Gary Nelson and Mike Hardin were primarily responsible for making the
successful case against C.C. Nelson gathered intelligence and
working with other subdistricts in the park for five years in an effort
to catch C.C. This arrest was critical to the park's efforts toward
reducing demand for drugs in the Old Faithful area, as it lead to a
number of his customers and eventually to the disruption of drug dealing
in the area.
[Submitted by Brian S. Smith, Supervisory Special
Agent]
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Climbing Fatality
While hiking near the base of El Capitan in a snowstorm on the
evening of December 28, climbers heard yells for help coming from the
Zodiac route and reported the yelling to the park around 7:30 p.m.
Ranger Jack Hoeflich hiked to the base of the route in the severe storm,
arriving there about 11 p.m. With difficulty, Hoeflich located an
unresponsive climber swinging in the wind on a rope about 25 feet above
the ground and 15 feet out from the overhanging wall. Additional rangers
and rescue team members arrived after 1 a.m. with rescue equipment. A
rope was clipped to the climber with considerable effort, using a
25-foot "cheater stick" extendable pole. Hoeflich then ascended a fixed
rope about 70 feet to the west of the stranded climber and hanging 15
feet out from the wall. Hoeflich trailed the rope that was attached to
the climber. When he was at about the same level as the immobile
climber, Hoeflich and the climber were pulled together by the team on
the ground using the previously attached rope. Hoeflich rigged him to be
lowered and the ground team let him down. Park medics and EMTs did CPR
until he was declared dead by medical control via cell phone. The body
was then littered over the snow-covered talus slope and hauled to the
road shortly after 4 a.m. The climber was later identified as J.E.C.,
25, of San Jose, California. Witnesses confirmed that J.E.C. had
been solo climbing the Zodiac.
[Submitted by David Horne,
Supervisory Park Ranger/Team Leader]
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.