Treasure hunter digging for famous bounty in Yellowstone pleads guilty, feds say
A treasure hunter pleaded guilty after digging through a historic cemetery in Yellowstone National Park, the Department of Justice said.
Rodrick Dow Craythorn, a 52-year-old Utah man, was caught digging in Fort Yellowstone Cemetery between Oct. 1, 2019, and May 24, 2020, McClatchy News reported in October.
He pleaded guilty Monday to charges of “excavating or trafficking in archeological resources, and injury or depredation to United States property,” according to the Department of Justice. He was indicted by a grand jury Sept. 16.
Excavating or trafficking in archaeological resources can have a penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000, according to the Department of Justice. Injury or depredation to U.S. property has a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Craythorn is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17 in Casper, Wyoming, the Department of Justice said.
“The hunt for the Forrest Fenn treasure was often viewed as a harmless diversion, but in this case it led to substantial damage to important public resources,” U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen said in a news release. “The Defendant let his quest for discovery override respect for the law.”
Craythorn was allegedly seeking the coveted Forrest Fenn treasure, which sent thousands of people searching. Some have died in pursuit of the treasure.
“Forrest Fenn, an art dealer and author from Santa Fe, hid a treasure chest containing gold, rare coins, jewelry, and gemstones somewhere in the Rocky Mountains,” the Department of Justice said. “The Fenn treasure spurred a decade-long search.”
Countless people searched for the Fenn treasure since 2010, according to McClatchy News.
Last year, a treasure hunter needed rescue after rappelling into the 800- to 1,200-foot-deep Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in search of the Fenn treasure, McClatchy News reported. He got stuck and couldn’t climb up the canyon.
In December, Jack Stuef came forward and said he found the treasure, having retrieved it on June 6. The announcement officially ended the search for many.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Treasure hunter digging for famous bounty in Yellowstone pleads guilty, feds say."