Arizona man sentenced for off-road damage

U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark E. Aspey recently sentenced a Fredonia man to three years probation and $7,500 in restitution for damaging the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument with his off-road vehicle. Melvin Mognett, 67, of Fredonia pleaded guilty to Off Road Travel with Resource Damage on March 29 in federal district court in Flagstaff. Judge Aspey also forbade Mognett from recreation on Bureau of Land Management public lands during his probation. "Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is a national treasure, and inappropriate use of off-road vehicles can cause irreparable damage,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke. “This office will diligently investigate and prosecute these crimes to protect Arizona’s public lands.”...more