Former Olympic athlete would spend up to 10 years in prison after being accused of damaging the Reflecting Pond
David Hearn, former Olympic athlete, would be deprived of his freedom for a decade if it is proven that he vandalized the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
David Hearn, a three-time Olympian, would spend up to a decade in prison after being formally charged with damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
With the aim of commemorating 250 years of American independence, President Donald Trump ordered the restoration of the emblematic site located in Washington, a project for which $14.8 million dollars was allocated.
However, something unusual arose days after the work was completed, as the water in the Reflecting Pond acquired a greenish color and a large amount of algae began to appear.
The anomaly aroused suspicion that some type of chemical substance had been poured into the water and the head of the nation demanded a thorough investigation to clarify what happened.
In a matter of hours, Washington authorities announced the arrest of a group of suspects linked to what was called an act of vandalism. Among those arrested, David Hearn, a 67-year-old former Olympic canoeist, headed the list.
“It ripped off a chunk of the newly installed sealant at the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pond.
This was a deliberate act to damage the Reflecting Pond on the National Mall, which members of the National Park Service have worked hard to restore and which they have witnessed,” Jeanine Pirro, federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, said in a conference when she formally charged him.
Accused of the serious crime of destruction of property, the former Olympic athlete faces a severe penalty, which he is not willing to accept, as he claims to be the subject of a simulation created to divert attention from other problems pending to be resolved in the White House.
“This accusation reflects the government's attempt to evade responsibility for its own failures.
Americans should be deeply concerned about the abuse of government power against an ordinary citizen, based on a fabricated narrative. “The judicial system exists to determine the facts, not to provide political cover,” said Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, attorneys at David Hearn.
It should be noted that six other cases linked to vandalism are being analyzed by prosecutor Jeanine Pirro, but it was anticipated that none of the suspects will receive sentences as severe as David Hearn.