Utah Man charged with damaging Yellowstone while digging for infamous Forrest Fern treasure

Chest was found in June after thousands searched across America

A Utah man accused of digging for treasure in Yellowstone National Park is facing two federal charges after being indicted by a grand jury.

Rodrick Dow Craythorn, 52, of Syracuse, Utah, was charged on 16 September with excavating or trafficking in archaeological resources and depredation to US property.

Federal prosecutors said that Mr Craythorn caused damage at the Fort Yellowstone Cemetery, located inside the park, for eight months, while attempting to find the Forrest Fenn treasure, according to NBC News.

The treasure, a chest containing gold and jewellery, was hidden by Forrest Fenn more than a decade ago, and was searched for by thousands of people using clues left in a book written by the art collector.

Mr Fern announced in June that the treasure had been found, but did not reveal who discovered it. He died in September at the age of 90.

In a statement on Thursday, the Wyoming US Attorney's Office said that Mr Craythorn dug for the treasure in the Fort Yellowstone Cemetery several times between 1 October 2019 and 24 May 24 2020.

Prosecutors did not say how much damage Mr Craythorn caused the cemetery, or how much it will cost to repair, but specified that it will be more than $1,000 (£766) according to the Daily Mail.

The excavating charge carries a sentence of between zero and two years in prison and up to a $20,000 (£15,345) fine, while the depredation count is punishable with up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 (£191,843) fine.

Mr Fenn hid the treasure somewhere between 2009 and 2010 and left clues to find it in his book, The Thrill of the Chase.

He said that the purpose of the treasure hunt was to encourage people to go outside and explore nature across the US.

NBC reported that over the 10 years it was hidden, thousands of people searched for the treasure, leading to five deaths. The chief of the New Mexico state police discouraged people from looking for it in 2017.

When he announced that the treasure had been found in June, Mr Fenn said: “It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago.”

The US attorney’s office said that Mr Craythorn’s trial has been scheduled for 14 December. He has been released from custody on his own recognisance.