A 65-year-old man was sentenced to time served and probation after authorities said he had been living illegally in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest, where rangers found an encampment surrounded by about 1,000 pounds of trash.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A man found living at an unauthorized campsite in central Arizona’s Tonto National Forest has pleaded guilty to federal violations after U.S. National Forest Service rangers discovered the site surrounded by about 1,000 pounds of trash.
Mark Aaron Gatz, 65, told officers he had lived at the campsite for two years and had been in the broader area for eight years, according to a probable cause statement cited by ABC News.
Rangers found Gatz at the illegal encampment during an investigation in the national forest. Officials said the site violated federal rules governing public lands, including restrictions on long-term residential use of national forest property.
At the time the camp was discovered, Gatz had six outstanding federal warrants connected to earlier violations, according to the probable cause statement. Those prior violations included building a fire during restrictions, construction on National Forest Service land and occupying a national forest as a residence.
Federal regulations limit camping in national forests to 14 days within a 30-day period, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Following the latest incident, Gatz was ordered to appear July 6 in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in Flagstaff, court documents show.
Gatz pleaded guilty to violating fire restrictions and using the forest as a residence without a permit, according to SFGate. He was sentenced to time served and three years of probation.
A spokesperson for the U.S. District of Arizona did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Gatz could not be reached for comment. His public defender, Luke Stephen Mulligan, also did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
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