High On Life Defendant Charged With Flying Drone In Mesa Verde

At least one of the High On Life defendants has been charged with an additional crime relating to the group’s national park tour earlier this year.

As a recap: four men associated with Vancouver-based clothing/lifestyle company High On Life were seen in May walking off the boardwalk around Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park—a federal misdemeanor. Yellowstone law enforcement subsequently issued warrants for their arrest—after the men returned to Canada. After months of back-and-forth between U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Carman and the men’s lawyer, the warrants were dropped in exchange for the men’s appearance in court at the Yellowstone Justice Center. A trial date has been set for November 1, 2016.

We previously reported the men may face other charges relating to their escapades in Yellowstone. Now, according to K2 Radio, at least one of the four High On Life defendants has been charged with an incident relating to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado:

On April 2, Charles Ryker Gamble of Vancouver, B.C., was charged with operating a drone within Mesa Verde, which is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine, according to the court records filed in Colorado U.S. District Court.

However, the federal charges were not filed until Sept. 13.

According to federal court records, A Mesa Verde ranger patrolling the the park saw three men in an enclosed area . When he approached the pullout near their location, he saw a light-colored drone flying above them. He waited for them to land the drone and identified Gambe as its owner and operator. The other two men were not identified.

A ranger also gave Gamble a verbal warning about entering a closed area.

Gamble appeared in federal court in Durango, Colo., on Sept. 13, and was represented by Laramie attorney Thomas Fleener who called the court. Gamble pleaded not guilty to the charge. The government did not seek detention.

If convicted of charges relating to their time in Yellowstone, each man will face up to six months prison and/or a $5,000 fine. The men’s lawyer has argued that each defendant do not deserve jail time, but may be liable for “significant” fines.

About Sean Reichard

Sean Reichard is the editor of Yellowstone Insider and author of Yellowstone Insider For Families 2017.

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