Rafter going to jail

We shared this case of rafting fraud when the man was in court. Now he's been sentenced. I'll never understand why people can't play by the rules...


From the AP: FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A California man was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation after pleading guilty to three federal counts of conspiring to fraudulently get permits for private rafting trips through the Grand Canyon.

Stephen E. Savage, 61, of Diamond Bar, Calif., who pleaded guilty and was sentenced Monday in Flagstaff, was also banned from all national parks while he is on probation and must pay $15,000 to the Grand Canyon Search and Rescue Fund.

Federal authorities said Savage obtained the river permits by using the identities of dead or fictitious people.

Private rafting permits for Colorado River trips in the Grand Canyon are very difficult to obtain, with waiting lists of 10 to 15 years. The list system was abandoned earlier this year in favor of a lottery system.