Two men wreck ancient rock formation by shoving boulders off Nevada cliff, feds say

Two men accused of wrecking an ancient rock formation near Lake Mead by wrestling boulders over a cliff now face trial, federal officials reported.

The two Henderson, Nevada, men, ages 31 and 37, are both accused of injury and depredation of government property and aiding and abetting, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Nevada said in a Friday, Aug. 23, news release.

Their trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 8 following their indictment by a federal grand jury, prosecutors said. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.

A video posted by KVVU in April shows the men wrestle rocks to the dropoff at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The boulders raise clouds of dust as they crash to the ground.

The two men did more than $1,000 in damage to the rock formation, prosecutors said.

More than 8 million people visit Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which covers 1.5 million acres, each year, the National Park Service said.

The reservoir, created by Hoover Dam, became the nation’s first national recreation area in 1964. It is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Las Vegas.

This story was originally published August 25, 2024 at 9:05 AM with the headline "Two men wreck ancient rock formation by shoving boulders off Nevada cliff, feds say."