A Santa Rosa, California man has been sentenced for assaulting park rangers in Yellowstone, National Park. 27-year-old Benjamin Bagala pleaded guilty and was sentenced for three counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees and one count of depredation against property of the United States.
He appeared via Zoom before United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, with credit served for four days already served, and must surrender himself on or before March 4th for the remainder of his sentence.
He also received one-year supervised release with special conditions that include a ban from Yellowstone National Park. He also may not use or possess alcohol, enter into bars, pubs, lounges, etc., and will continue with alcohol treatment as approved by the probation officer. Additionally, Bagala was ordered to pay $2,865.42 in restitution and $100 special assessment.
According to the charges, Bagala had been drinking heavily and began harassing guests at Lake Hotel last September, running through the halls, breaking things and eventually approached a security guard with threatening behavior.
A law enforcement officer was called to the scene where Bagala’s action continued to progress and escalated to an attack on the officer and had to be tasered. He again attacked and injured the officers as he was being taken to the hospital.
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