Three separate people who misbehaved, in varyingly severe ways, at Yellowstone National Park were recently sentenced to time in prison and ordered to pay fines and court costs.
The sentences were handed down by Judge Stephanie Hambrick in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming last month.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming, which announced the sentences, told the New York Times each incident occurred in fall 2024.
Yiyang Shen, 25, of Doraville, Georgia, drove off-road inside the park and parked his car in a thermal area.
Shen was charged with one count of using a car in a prohibited area in a way that damaged park resources and one count of walking in a thermal area outside of designated and marked trails or boardwalks.
He was sentenced on March 12 to a week of incarceration, ordered to pay $1,050 in fines and court costs, and put on five years unsupervised probation that includes a ban from Yellowstone.
Authorities wanted to make clear that damaging park resources has consequences.
“The No. 1 priority is public safety, but natural resources are also important in places like Yellowstone National Park. More dangerous offenses, like thermal trespass or wildlife disturbance, could potentially lead to jail time, while minor violations might result in fines or warnings,” USAO-WY Public Affairs Officer Lori Hogan told the New York Times on Tuesday.
Douglas Wolfley, 49, of Fairview, Wyoming, pleaded guilty to driving drunk in Yellowstone and to having an open container of alcohol in his car. It was his third DUI offense in ten years, the Wyoming attorney’s office said.
On March 18, Wolfley was given 10 days in prison with credit for two served, ordered to pay $3,050 in fines and court costs, and put on three years of unsupervised probation including a ban from Yellowstone National Park.
Foot travel off the beaten path at Yellowstone lands people in hot water each year. For example, former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan had to pay a $500 fine last year after walking where he was not supposed to at the park.
Angela Flaherty, 44, of Seattle, was given a week in prison on March 19 after she pleaded guilty to walking in thermal areas outside the designated paths.
She walked about 10 feet onto the cone of the famous Old Faithful geyser, with some of her unauthorized strolling caught on camera by another tourist. She was also ordered to pay $40 in court costs.
