A man has been sentenced after authorities discovered he had been living illegally in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest for about eight years, leaving behind an estimated 1,000 pounds of trash at his campsite.
Mark Aaron Gatz pleaded guilty to violating fire restrictions and unlawfully using federal forest land for residential purposes under a plea agreement.
According to court records, Gatz was sentenced to three months’ probation and ordered to pay a $20 criminal penalty. As part of the agreement, he will not be required to pay up to $5,000 in potential restitution to the U.S. Forest Service. He was also barred from visiting national forests in Arizona and prohibited from using cannabis during his probation.
Gatz was arrested on June 25 after federal authorities accused him of repeatedly violating forest regulations, including building illegal campfires, exceeding permitted camping limits, and maintaining unsanitary conditions at his campsite.
Court documents revealed that U.S. Forest Service officers had previously warned and cited him over illegal fires and the growing accumulation of waste.
Investigators said the campsite contained discarded tyres, plastic bags, rubbish sacks, aluminium cans, and other debris surrounding an SUV parked beneath a makeshift canopy along a remote dirt trail. Officers estimated the refuse weighed about 1,000 pounds.
Authorities also discovered an illegally constructed stone structure allegedly used for cooking over open fires despite restrictions aimed at preventing wildfires.
Officials said Gatz had occupied the same campsite for at least two years before his arrest, despite federal regulations limiting camping in Tonto National Forest to 14 consecutive days.
According to investigators, officers instructed him in May 2025 to remove the trash and vacate the site within two weeks. However, when he was arrested the following month, Gatz reportedly admitted he had lived in the forest for approximately eight years.
Court filings also indicated that he had six outstanding federal warrants at the time of his arrest and had previously received multiple warnings for violating campfire restrictions.
