Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Forest Violations, Receives Probation and Fine Waiver

Mark Aaron Gatz, 65, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to violating fire restrictions and using Tonto National Forest as a residence without a permit, @ABC reported. The court sentenced him to time served plus three years of probation and barred him from all U.S.

National forests in Arizona. Fines that would normally apply were waived after the court determined he could not pay them. U.S. Forest Service rangers arrested Gatz on June 25, 2026, at an illegal campsite along National Forest System Road 1006, 38 miles northeast of Phoenix.

The site contained a wood-burning fire. Gatz told rangers he had lived at that location for two years and inside the Payson Pine area of the forest for eight years total. At the time of arrest, Gatz had six outstanding federal warrants for prior violations that included building fires during restrictions, constructing on forest land, and unsanitary conditions.

Rangers had issued earlier warnings and citations for campfires. Gatz said he knew of the restrictions but needed the fire to cook. Officers documented extensive trash and damage across multiple visits.

In May 2026 they recorded an estimated 1,000 pounds of debris including tires, plastic bags, and aluminum cans. A July 2025 inspection found roughly half an acre of forest degraded by prolonged trash accumulation. Earlier observations in 2025 and February 2026 noted trailers, tarps, multiple campfires, cooking equipment, and scattered household items.

Federal rules limit camping in national forests to 14 days within any 30-day period to protect resources and ensure access for all visitors, @ABC reported.