Syracuse Resident Busted Trying to Dig Up Jewels in National Park

Thank goodness this didn't happen to a resident of Syracuse, New York.

Rodrick Dow Craythorn of Syracuse, Utah was recently indicted by a grand jury on two federal charges after he was found digging up parts of Yellowstone National Park back in 2019 while searching for a chest of jewels hidden by an art collector. The loot was valued at more than $2 million.

Acording to a report from NBC News, Craythorn is accused of causing more than $1,000 in damage to the national cemetery at Yellowstone as he searched for the treasure chest, which contained gems and rare gold coins. He pleaded not guilty Thursday this week.

The treasure had been buried a decade ago by an eccentric New Mexican Art dealer, Forrest Fenn, who left clues about its whereabouts in his book The Thrill of The Chase. In June, an anonymous man found the treasure somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, Fenn revealed on his blog at the time.

The winner of the treasure hunt has never been revealed and wanted to remain anonymous.

NBC News said:

The search for the treasure led to at least five deaths. Thousands were reported to have looked for it at some point. In 2017, the chief of the New Mexico state police discouraged people from hunting for it, citing the dangers involved.

Craythorn faces a hefty fine and potential prison time in his trial scheduled for December 14.