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River runner banned from Grand Canyon
Illegal kayak trip leads to three years probation

PAGE, Ariz. - U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark E. Aspey sentenced Dean Woods, Jr., 24, to three years probation and a concurrent ban from Grand Canyon National Park for conducting a river trip without a permit. Woods, of St. George, Utah, pleaded guilty to the charges in federal court in Page.

On July 7, 2010, the National Park Service was contacted regarding a missing person. Park Rangers learned that the defendant hiked to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon with an inflatable kayak in the remote Tuweep area of the Grand Canyon. Rangers located Woods on a beach on the Colorado River. The defendant admitted he knew a permit was required to kayak the Colorado River and expressed remorse for his actions to the Rangers.

A conviction for conducting a river trip without a permit carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail, a $5,000 fine or both.

The investigation in this case was conducted by law enforcement officers of Grand Canyon National Park and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The prosecution was handled by Camille D. Bibles, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Flagstaff. Ariz.


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