“No More Deaths” Volunteers Plead Guilty to Civil Violations on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge

     TUCSON, Ariz. – On March 4, 2019, Caitlin Persis Deighan, Zoe E. Anderson, Logan Thomas Hollarsmith, and Rebecca Kate Grossman-Richeimer entered into a plea agreement in which the defendants pled guilty to a civil infraction, and the United States agreed to dismiss the criminal charges against them.  Each defendant was also ordered to pay a $280.00 fine.

     On Aug. 19, 2017, United States Fish and Wildlife Service officers encountered the defendants on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in Ajo, Ariz. The defendants did not have a valid permit to enter the refuge.  Deighan admitted to driving the group to an area known as Charlie Bell Well, which is located in a Congressionally-designated wilderness refuge.

     “Our office is pleased that this matter was resolved through civil enforcement in which the defendants fully accepted responsibility for their illegal actions on a wilderness refuge specifically safeguarded by Congress,” stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange.  “Our office will continue to review violations of federal law occurring within protected federal lands on a case-by-case basis.”  

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the prosecution was handled by Anna Wright and Nathaniel Walters, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER:                 CR-17-00340MJ

RELEASE NUMBER:           2019-023_ No More Deaths Vols Plea

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az

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