10 years in prison.

2 men charged with destroying ancient rock formations at Nevada lake

By Amy Graff

Two men were charged on Aug. 23 with toppling ancient rock formations at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada, according to a federal indictment. 

The men from Henderson, Nevada, ages 31 and 37, were caught on video on April 7 pushing the massive pieces of sandstone over a cliff and onto the ground below, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said in a news release. They were on the Redstone Dune Trail, a 1.1-mile round-trip hike in the national recreation area that’s about 40 miles east of Las Vegas. The route is lined with red-hued sandstone formations that were sand dunes 40 million years ago.

“Over time, geological forces turned the loose dunes into hard sandstone,” according to the National Park Service.

In April, the National Park Service shared a screen capture of an Instagram video catching the vandals in the act and called on the public to help identify the men. “Information from visitors is often very helpful to investigators,” the park service said.

The two men were arrested and “each charged with one count of injury and depredation of government property and one count of aiding and abetting,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. They are scheduled to appear before a jury on Oct. 8. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.