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The lawyer representing the four men accused of walking on Grand Prismatic Spring in May acknowledged at least one of his clients may face jail time.
The client in question is Charles Ryker Gamble, who (in addition to his Yellowstone charges) faces a misdemeanor charge for flying a drone in Mesa Verde National Park. We previously reported that Gamble would appear in court separate from the other defendants for the Mesa Verde charge.
Currently, all four men are slated to appear in court at the Yellowstone Justice Center November 1. They are charged with several misdemeanors, including walking off off the boardwalk in a hydrothermal area and taking commercial photography without a permit.
According to K2 Radio, Thomas Fleener of Laramie-based Fleener Law filed a motion with the U.S. District Court in Colorado, requesting permission to withdraw as the attorney for Gamble; reportedly, Gamble doesn’t want Fleener to represent him anymore, citing dire financial straits. A federal public defender would replace Fleener in Colorado if the judge accepts.
Fleener mentioned the possibility of Gamble facing jail time in his motion: “While the AUSA does not take a position in this motion, I am authorized to inform the Court that the United States may be seeking confinement in this case, thereby triggering the Defendant’s right to counsel.”
According to K2 Radio, there is no information whether the federal prosecutor in Wyoming is seeking jail time for the High on Life men.
Besides Yellowstone and Mesa Verde, the men reportedly violated rules in Death Valley and on BLM land in Utah; no federal charges have been issued from either location.
UPDATE: Fleener has filed a motion to withdraw from the Grand Prismatic case as well. Read our story here.
