Henderson men caught on video destroying protected red rock formations found guilty by federal jury
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Red rock sandstone formations are iconic to the Nevada desert and protected in areas like Red Rock Canyon, Gold Butte National Monument and in Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
One year ago, two Henderson men were recorded destroying in minutes what took nature millions of years to create. Federal prosecutors say the men in video shared exclusively with FOX5 when the crime happened are Wyatt Fain and Payden Cosper. FOX5 shared it with park rangers at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Now thanks to the video, after a two-day trial each of the men has now been found guilty of one count of injury and depredation of government property.
“Daddy, do not fall!,” a girl screams in the video as two men push giant red rocks over a cliff shattering onto the ground above the popular Redstone Dunes Trail as hikers below recorded them.
The damage done to formations, shaped over 140-million-years, are irreversible according to the park spokesperson John Haynes.
“It takes millions of years for these rock formations to form and then you get a couple idiots out there that are destroying all that work of nature…it pretty appalling. It is kind of disgusting,” asserted Haynes.
With six million visitors each year, Lake Mead’s park rangers rely of the public to also keep watch over what is owned by all, especially in remote areas of the park. For four months, park rangers asked for public help identifying the men in the video exclusive to FOX5 before arresting Fain and Cosper.
After their arrest, an attorney for Cosper told CNN: “There were no signs posted at the entrance prohibiting pushing rocks or that it was a federally a protected site…Mr. Cosper did not have any knowledge that pushing a boulder was unlawful until the U.S. Marshals showed up at his house four months later.”
Each of the men now face a maximum penalty of a year in prison and/or a 100 thousand dollar fine. They will be sentenced in July.
The National Park Service investigated this case. If you see something suspicious or if you have information that could help an investigation, call the National Park Service Tip Line at 1-888-653-0009 or submit a tip online to nps_isb@nps.gov.
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