Owner of Andersen Hitches vandalizes in Arches NP

[Boxite]

Thread Drift is as careless as graffiti. All one has to do is start a new thread if you have something of a different topic.

THIS thread is about Ryan Andersen and his criminal behavior and in-particular about his defacing Arches N.M./BLM property, and how we are NOT GOING TO FORGET IT and avoid his RV/CAMPING products. (NOT worried at all about how it affects his employees. That's HIS and THEIR problem, and hopefully will affect such behavior in the future as well as provoke him to make restitution. Behavior has Consequences. Maybe his children/employees/us will help him remember that.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Gene

Expect a thread to wander over time. It is the nature of them.

More and more fire restrictions in Colorado as well. The fire near Durango may not be put out until winter comes. New ones starting up almost every day. Living on the edge of forest promotes nervous thoughts. I keep the hitch on the truck if I have to hitch up fast. Storms coming today from the remains of the hurricane and I hope we get rain and not too much lightning. When it is this dry, we get the storms, lightning, but little or no rain. We had a few drops this morning, hoping for a minor deluge (don't want floods either).

The Colorado NM has a $500 reward for information leading to discovery who did the "promposal".

Gene

Hope you stay safe out there. I’ve done limited woodland fire fighting and it is exhausting and not fun at all. Take care!

[pcskier]

AAAAAANNNNNDDDDDD again. https://www.ksl.com/article/46344921...leave-no-trace

[OTRA15]

Thanks Peter. What idiots! BTW I just discovered a more general and older Graffiti in NP thread which would be another good spot for posts:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...ks-134458.html

Hopefully the Andersen incident will draw an indictment, but so far there is nothing new from the SLC US Attorney's Office link posted earlier.

Thanks again for the link.

Peter

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by HeadWest

I contacted the Moab BLM office to find out the current status with the case. I received a response back from Lisa Bryant with the BLM that the entire matter has been elevated to the US Department of Justice in Salt Lake as has been previously mentioned in this thread. I called the provided contact at the US Dept of Justice, Melodie Rydalch this morning and she told me that she cannot make any comments on the case. Not a thing of it being an ongoing investigation, case dropped, nothing. Hopefully the wheels of justice will slowly grind to an appropriate action.

Wondering if you would consider contacting them again, to get the current status of the charges against Ryan Andersen? I emailed one of the news outlets asking if they could update their April article.

No indictments have been issued according to the SLC US Attorney's Office per the link posted before.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr

Thanks,

Peter

[OTRA15]

A recent article in the Moab Times, which was one of the first to report on Ryan Andersen's graffiti, discusses the general problem and reports once again that:

"The case has been turned over to the U.S. Department of Justice for further investigation."

Hopefully the reporter got current info from the SLC U. S. Attorney's office. In other words, presumably they have not ruled out an indictment.

"If you see something, say something!"

Moab Times-Independent - It s not art Rock vandalism on the rise

[Doc Foster]

How could they NOT indict him? Hopefully the further investigation is to determine if other charges are warranted.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Doc Foster

How could they NOT indict him? Hopefully the further investigation is to determine if other charges are warranted.

It is likely that Ryan Andersen's attorneys and public relations people are doing their best to hammer out a plea bargain with the U. S. Attorney's office, who may, in turn, be taking a hard-headed position to have the perp do some jail time, to set a public example with a prominent person having to go to prison, if only for a month or so. [IMO]

Andersen's attorneys would obviously know that, if this case goes to an indictment and then to a public trial, the Andersen brand name would probably slink off into the history books.

From a prosecutor's perspective, on the other hand, this case is a gold mine, and they will dig dig dig until they get the public capitulation they want! [IMO]




Have a safe Fourth of July, and remember . . .


If you see something, say something!

[Rocinante]

Nope. You’re forgetting the golden rule: them that has the gold makes the rules. I’ll bet Andersen has enough gold to make this go away.

[OTRA15]

That may be . . . however the gold is in a vault in Idaho, and the U. S. Attorney's office is in Salt Lake City, in a Mormon state. If an obdurate prosecutor wants to push this, all the gold in Idaho will not deter her or him IMO.

Time will tell . . .

Peter

[Rocinante]

Hoping for an obdurate prosecutor, but not holding my breath.

[Rzrbrn]

Nothing of substance will happen.

Don't forget Cliven Bundy and Claude Dallas, both examples of the attitude of people in the west toward Federal government. Also Andersen is probably a strong monetary contributor to a political party.

[OTRA15]

Coincidentally a SLC federal judge just handed down what appears to be a fairly stiff sentence IMO:

"SALT LAKE CITY – A Vernal, Utah, man will spend 180 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense.

"U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish sentenced Steven Dean Hardinger, age 35, Thursday afternoon in federal court. Hardinger has been documented as a leader of the Soldiers of Aryan Culture, a white supremacist gang in Utah."

Further details here:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/a...federal-prison

Another press release was issued yesterday, both unrelated to the Ryan Andersen case, but indicative that the U. S. Attorney's office there is moving along with justice:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr

Time will tell.

Have a good weekend, and a safe and happy Fourth of July.

Peter

[HeadWest]

I received the following back from Lisa Bryant at the Moab BLM office:

The vandalism at Corona, or frankly that kind of graffiti anywhere, is pretty inexcusable. Although unfortunately it continues to increase with increasing visitation in our area.

I spoke to Melodie again today, and it is still an open investigation, which means DOJ isn't at liberty to discuss the case with anyone. Given the information BLM investigators provided, I have full confidence in the Department of Justice to resolve it. Given their tremendous caseload, it helps to be patient.

Thank you for your continued interest in the case and in protecting public lands. Advocates like you are critical in helping us develop a culture of good stewardship and responsible recreation.

Feel free to contact anytime and ask for updates, we will certainly share them when we are able.

Hopefully some justice will be served but I have my doubts. No direct word back from Melodie at DOJ from my VM left with her early last week.

[OTRA15]

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to them, and for the update!

Peter

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

. . .
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr

We have just passed the two-month mark since the graffiti carving was done.
. . .

We have now passed the three-month mark, and no indictments have been issued by the SLC U. S. Attorney's office linked above.

Sometimes the wheels of justice turn slowly . . .

Peter

FYI

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

We have now passed the three-month mark, and no indictments have been issued by the SLC U. S. Attorney's office linked above.

Sometimes the wheels of justice turn slowly . . .

Peter

FYI

They may have more pressing issues...

[OTRA15]

Yes, but hopefully the case is still "in process," while the U. S. Attorneys prepare their evidence and witnesses against Ryan Andersen. I have served on a grand jury, so am familiar with how long things can take. Sooner or later we will hear something, even if there is no indictment IMO.

Peter

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by HeadWest

I received the following back from Lisa Bryant at the Moab BLM office . . .
. . .
. . . No direct word back from Melodie at DOJ from my VM left with her early last week.

Thanks again for reaching out to Lisa and Melodie. Have they updated you recently?

Thanks,

Peter

[Gene]

I have little doubt this case will be prosecuted, but also believe it will take a while. They are shorthanded in the US Attorneys office in Utah and are advertising for assistant attorneys as per one of the links above. They are going to prioritize drug, terror and big tax cases first. The federal AG wants to charge everyone with anything remotely possible and that causes extra work for US attorneys—more papers to file, more arguments in court as they try to justify to the judge the upcharging is valid. This slows down everything. There has been a federal job freeze, so many agencies are shorthanded and some may be crippled.

I suspect they will make an example of Andersen since he has a bit of fame. They may even charge his kids and wife to put pressure on him to plea out.

I am wondering if all the nastiness against the federal government and Utah's attempts to take over federal lands or privatize them is causing more of this? Utah is so against the feds, a major recreational trade show that brought tens of millions of dollars to Utah every year moved out and went to Denver. I find it interesting, living so close to Utah, that they promote their 5 national parks, but want to take over Forest Service and BLM lands and commercialize them.