Tag: Jail

Former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch arrested in Vegas on suspicion of DUI

Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was arrested Tuesday morning in Las Vegas on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has been booked into jail on suspicion of driving under the influence in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Per the Las Vegas Police Department, he was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of impairment. Lynch was then transported to the Las Vegas City Jail and booked on the charge.

According to TMZ Sports, Lynch did not submit to a breathalyzer but did have his blood drawn.

Just yesterday, the Seahawks announced Lynch would be acting as a “special correspondent” for the team later in the season.

This story is continuing to develop.

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Ex-Jets wide receiver sentenced to 3 years in prison for COVID relief fraud

Ex-Jets WR Josh Bellamy was sentenced to 3 years in prison for illegally acquiring loans meant to help businesses during the pandemic

A Florida federal court sentenced former Jets wide receiver Josh Bellamy to 37 months in prison on Friday for illegally acquiring $1.2 million in loans meant to help struggling businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Associated Press.

Bellamy’s sentencing comes 15 months after he was arrested for his role in a larger fraud scheme. The Jets released the receiver a day before his arrest, but had no knowledge of Bellamy’s off-field transgressions, per an ESPN report from 2020. Bellamy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud this past June.

Court records claim Bellamy received a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program loan for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC, with falsified documents. He then used the money on items for himself and allegedly spent more than $100,000 of his PPP money at Dior, Gucci and jewelry stores, as well as at least $362,000 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Bellamy played eight seasons in the NFL, including one year with the Jets in 2019. He only caught two receptions for 20 yards in seven games that season but also played special teams. New York placed him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list before the 2020 season and released him soon after. Bellamy spent five seasons with the Bears, one with Washington and one with the Chiefs prior to joining the Jets.

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Yellowstone tourist gets jail time for approaching grizzly bear

A woman who starred in a viral video that shows her approaching and being charged by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park will spend four days in jail.

A woman who starred in a viral video that shows her being charged by a grizzly bear at close quarters in Yellowstone National Park will spend four days in jail.

Samantha R. Dehring, 25, of Carol Stream, Ill., pleaded guilty Wednesday to “willfully remaining, approaching, and photographing wildlife within 100 yards” during the May 10 encounter, according to a National Park Service news release.

The encounter, at Roaring Mountain,  was captured on video by another tourist from inside her vehicle.

 

Yellowstone has strict rules pertaining bears, bison, and wolves. Tourists must remain at least 100 yards from these unpredictable animals for their own safety and that of the critters.

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Dehring appeared before Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming. She was sentenced to four days in custody and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, and an additional $1,000 to the Yellowstone Forever Wildlife Protection Fund.

Dehring also is banned from entering Yellowstone National Park for one year.

Court records show that tourists had stopped at Roaring Mountain to watch a grizzly bear sow with three cubs. Most of them remained inside or quickly retreated to their vehicles.

Dehring held her ground, aiming her phone at the bear until it briefly charged toward her from a distance of less than 30 yards.

Said Acting United States Atty. Bob Murray:

“Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are, indeed, wild. The park is not a zoo where animals can be viewed within the safety of a fenced enclosure. They roam freely in their natural habitat and when threatened will react accordingly. Approaching a sow grizzly with cubs is absolutely foolish. Here, pure luck is why Dehring is a criminal defendant and not a mauled tourist.”

–Image courtesy of Darcie Addington

Yellowstone tourist gets jail time for trespassing in thermal area

A Yellowstone National Park tourist who trespassed in a dangerous thermal area in July has been sentenced to seven days in jail. 

A Yellowstone National Park tourist who trespassed in a dangerous thermal area in July will spend seven days in jail.

Madeline S. Casey, 26, of New Hartford, Conn., was sentenced Aug. 18 in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, in the park’s northwest corner. Casey also was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, another $1,000 to the Yellowstone Forever Resource Fund, and $40 in fees.

The violation occurred July 22 at the Norris Geyser Basin. Casey and one other person left the boardwalk and walked across a thermal feature, to the consternation of tourists who documented their actions with cameras.

Yellowstone’s thermal areas are lined with boardwalks and signs warning tourists not to step from boardwalks onto the fragile and extremely dangerous thermal surface.

“Boardwalks in geyser basins protect visitors and delicate thermal formations,” Morgan Warthin, Yellowstone National Park Public Affairs Officer, stated in a U.S. Justice Department/District of Wyoming news release issued Wednesday. “The ground is fragile and thin and scalding water just below the surface can cause severe or fatal burns.

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“More than 20 people have died from burns suffered after they entered or fell into Yellowstone’s hot springs.”

Added Acting U.S. Atty. Bob Murray: “For those who lack a natural ability to appreciate the dangerousness of crusty and unstable ground, boiling water, and scalding mud, the National Park Service does a darn good job of warning them to stay on the boardwalk in thermal areas.

“Yet there will always be those like Ms. Casey who don’t get it.  Although a criminal prosecution and jail time may seem harsh, it’s better than spending time in a hospital’s burn unit.”

The case was investigated by Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Atty. Stephanie Hambrick.

–Images showing Yellowstone thermal features are courtesy of NPS/Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone visitors react to news that park has its own jail

Yellowstone National Park reminded followers Wednesday that it’s one of only two national parks with its own jail.

Yellowstone National Park reminded followers Wednesday that it’s one of only two national parks with its own jail.

In a light-hearted social media post, Sarah Bouska, Yellowstone Jail Supervisor, remarked, “While we hope people don’t end up visiting the facility during their time in the park, we’ve received reviews like, ‘The best prison food I’ve ever had,’ ‘cleanest cells and best hospitality I’ve experienced,’ and ‘I’d give it five stars!’ ”

The park stated that employees such as Bouska help ensure that criminal prosecutions run smoothly.

“Whether it’s putting prisoners in jail and monitoring them, transporting prisoners alongside the U.S. Marshal’s Service, assisting the park’s Assistant U.S. Attorney with case files, or actively patrolling, the staff of the Yellowstone Jail are always busy,” the park explained.

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The Facebook post inspired hundreds of comments, many from people surprised to learn about the presence of the jail, or thanking the park for attempting to maintain order.

“It’s sad that Yellowstone has to have a jail, but I’m happy that they are there to serve and protect!” one comment reads.

Maintaining order, as park regulars know, is no easy task because so many visitors misbehave around wildlife and the park’s many thermal features.

Another comment reads, “After attempting to ride a bison, there’s nothing I like better than relaxing overnight at the Yellowstone Jail.”

Yellowstone, the country’s first national park, is situated mostly in Wyoming, with portions extending into Montana and Idaho.

Yosemite National Park, in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, also has an on-site jail.

Unlicensed Yellowstone guide ‘motivated by greed’ gets jail sentence

A man who had been profiting as an unlicensed guide in Yellowstone National Park has been found guilty on seven counts of illegal activities and violating national park regulations.

A man who had been profiting as an unlicensed guide in Yellowstone National Park has been found guilty on seven counts of illegal activities and violating national park regulations.

Among the activities, according to a park news release issued Monday, were violating closure periods, trespassing in thermal areas, violating swimming closures and allowing cliff jumping, creating hot spots in rivers, and disturbing wildlife.

Theodore Eugene Garland, 60, of Edmond, Okla., was sentenced to seven days in jail, fined $600, and banned from Yellowstone National Park until Dec. 31, 2021.

RELATED: SUV collides with Yellowstone bison; night driving at issue

During the July 2 sentencing, before Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman at Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyo., the government had suggested a 30-day jail sentence, steeper fines, and a five-year ban from the park.

Garland was found guilty based largely on incriminating images and posts that appeared on his social media platforms.

He was also ordered to pay $500 to the Yellowstone Forever Geological Resource Fund, serve five years of unsupervised probation, and cease promoting “violations of laws in the national parks.”

Said Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray: “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.

“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 news release, posted to Facebook by Yellowstone National Park, inspired hundreds of comments in just the first hour. Many followers expressed criticism of what they perceived to be too light of a sentence.

Man jailed for dangerous stunt at Yellowstone’s Old Faithful

A man who was cited for trespassing at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park last July has been sentenced to 15 days in prison and banned from the park.

A man who was cited for trespassing at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park last July has been sentenced to 15 days in jail and banned from the park.

Aaron E. Merritt, 37, pleaded guilty to trespassing during his arraignment Thursday before Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming.

On July 7, 2020, Merritt, who is from Madison, Maine, repeatedly ran up to the Old Faithful geyser while wearing a raccoon fur hat and carrying the American flag. When a ranger arrived, Merritt was 50 feet beyond the safety of the boardwalk.

RELATED: Goldendoodle still loose in Yellowstone, owner calls in ‘rescuers’

Tourists at the famous geyser, which erupts at predictable intervals, must stay on boardwalks that surround the thermal feature.

Crowd watches Old Faithful. Photo: NPS

Merritt was cited but failed to appear for his July 23, 2020 court appearance. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was arrested in Maine on June 5, 2021, according to a U.S. Department of Justice District of Wyoming news release.

Merritt was sentenced to 15 days imprisonment with credit for four days served. He was fined $200, plus $30 in court costs and a $10 assessment fee.

–Top image showing Old Faithful erupt is courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Yellowstone tourists get jail time for trespassing at Old Faithful

Two men have been sentenced to 10 days in jail for trespassing on the cone of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.

Two men have been sentenced to 10 days in jail after pleading guilty to trespassing on the cone of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.

Eric Schefflin, 20, of Lakewood, Colo., and Ryan Goetz, 25, of Woodstock, N.Y., were sentenced on Dec. 5 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Carman at Yellowstone Justice Center in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyo.

The case had been pending since the men were cited on Sept. 10, 2019, after several witnesses watched them walking toward and onto the out-of-bounds cone of iconic thermal feature.

The men also were banned from Yellowstone National Park for five years and ordered to pay $540 in restitution, according to a news release issued Thursday by the park.

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“Visitors must realize that walking on thermal features is dangerous, damages the resource, and illegal,” said Chief Ranger Sarah Davis. “Law enforcement officers take this violation seriously.”

Trespassing beyond the safety of boardwalks at Yellowstone’s thermal features is a common problem despite the potential for injury or death.

Late last September a 48-year-old tourist was severely burned after falling into a hot spring near Old Faithful, while walking at night with a flashlight.

In June 2017 a man received moderate burns after he fell into a hot spring at Lower Geyser Basin.

In 2016 a man died after he fell into a hot spring at Norris Geyser Basin, and in August 2000 a man died and two other tourists were severely burned after they fell into a hot spring at Lower Geyser Basin.

A park spokeswoman told ForTheWin Outdoors that thermal trespass violations are misdemeanors and can result in fines of up to $5,000, plus up to six months in jail.

–Images showing Old Faithful and thermal features are courtesy of ©Pete Thomas and Yellowstone National Park

Former Seahawk Malik McDowell sentenced to 11 months in jail

Former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Malik McDowell was sentenced to 11 months in jail according to Michigan court records.

Former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Malik McDowell has been sentenced to 11 months in jail after pleading guilty to multiple crimes in Michigan, according to court records obtained by ESPN.

McDowell was also given three months of probation and ordered by a judge to write four essays over the next 90 days. The essay topics included finding meaning in life other than committing crimes, the importance of respecting the rule of law, the principles of the Declaration of Independence and how his behavior undermined them, and the importance of respecting property rights.

McDowell was the 35th overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Seahawks, but he was involved in an ATV accident just three months later and never played a down in the NFL.

McDowell was arrested in February of this year and charged with assault, resisting arrest and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He was found in possession of a stolen F-150 Raptor, which led to charges of receiving and concealing stolen property.

McDowell was also been previously arrested and given 12 months of probation for a drunken-driving incident, also in 2017, as well as a disorderly conduct charge outside an Atlanta nightclub.

After his latest sentence, McDowell apologized and vowed to be better, while indicating he still has hopes of playing in the NFL.

“I’m doing everything I need to do, seeing all the doctors I need to, working out … doing everything I can to get back to where I was, back to the NFL,” McDowell said, according to the Oakland Press, and added that he’s “very remorseful.”

McDowell’s legal issues don’t just stem from arrests. He has been sued by the Seahawks, who seek repayment of about $800,000 of his signing bonus after an arbitrator’s ruling.

McDowell spent two seasons on Seattle’s non-football injury list before getting waived.

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