A Utah man will have to serve a half-a-year in federal prison for excavating and damaging archeological resources at a historic cemetery in Yellowstone National Park. 

Rodrick Dow Craythorn, 52, of Syracuse, Utah, was found digging in Fort Yellowstone’s cemetery in late 2019 and early 2020. He was indicted in October and on Wednesday, Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl ordered Craythorn to serve six months in prison and six months of home detention, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $31,566 in restitution. 

Craythorn was searching for a treasure hidden by Forrest Fenn, an art dealer from New Mexico who stashed a chest of gold, silver and gems in the western United States and then left a clue-filled poem to solve its location. Fenn passed away last year shortly after the treasure was reportedly discovered in an undisclosed location in Wyoming; it was reportedly worth millions of dollars. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming said an investigation revealed Craythorn had done extensive research on the Fenn treasure and documented his efforts to family and friends. 

Rangers and special agents of the National Park Service discovered 17 sites where Craythorn had illegally excavated the earth at the Fort Yellowstone cemetery, including damage to a historic grave. In addition to holding the remains of dozens of people, the cemetery is included in the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark.

“Yellowstone is one of the country’s most popular national parks and we must do everything in our power to investigate and prosecute those who damage and destroy its natural and cultural resources. A national park is no place to stage an adult treasure hunt motivated by greed,” said Bob Murray, the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming. “The harmful actions of Mr. Craythorn, no matter the reason or intent, destroyed valuable archaeological resources that cannot be undone.”

A sentence of imprisonment is rarely imposed for damaging archeological resources, but Murray said Craythorn “deserves time in a federal prison, no matter the length.” The federal prosecutor said the case is a reminder of the importance of respecting and preserving national parks “for the whole of America.”

Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly thanked the law enforcement officers, special agents, archaeological staff, the Department of Justice and Judge Skavdahl “for their outstanding work on this complex case.”

He called the “most significant investigation of damage to archaeological resources” in the park’s recent history. The restitution amount of $31,566 reflected the actual damage Craythorn dealt to the Fort Yellowstone cemetery, as determined by park archaeologist. 

Yellowstone’s chief ranger, Sarah Davis, described Craythorn’s case as “a highly egregious resource violation.”

Wednesday’s sentence “sends a clear message that these types of transgressions will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted,” Davis said.

It was the second high profile prosecution of a Fenn treasure hunter within the past year. In January 2020, Indiana resident David Christensen ventured into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River to search for the chest.

Christensen tied a rope to the platform at the canyon overlook and climbed more than 800 feet down the steep incline in the midst of a snow storm before having to be rescued by rangers. He was sentenced to serve a week in jail and ordered to reimburse the National Park Service more than $4,000 for the expense of getting him out of the canyon while being banned from Yellowstone for five years. 

In a recent interview, Christensen said he ultimately served five days in a federal lock-up in Rochester, Minnesota.

(Mark Davis and CJ Baker contributed reporting.)