A La Plata County outfitter, who violated conditions of a suspended sentence for operating his business on federal land without a license, was back in U.S. Federal Court on Monday facing revocation of his unsupervised probation.
But Keith Harper got another chance in federal Magistrate David West’s courtroom when Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Norvell recommended Harper be released from custody on $1,000 bail to allow him to hire an attorney to decide what he’s going to do.
Harper is due before West at 3 p.m. Aug. 27 with a decision. He was alone Monday in an orange jumpsuit, shackled hands and feet,
Harper, who faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine, was arrested for numerous violations of his probation this summer. West, in November 2012, suspended Harper’s six-month sentence for operating a guide service without a license in the San Juan National Forest.
The suspension was conditioned on not operating his business on several Forest Service roads for one year and not violating other local, state and federal laws. Harper pleaded guilty two months earlier of running his business on an expired license and giving a false report to a Forest Service special agent.
Harper’s license to provide guide services expired Dec. 31, 2011.
Photos and witnesses placed Harper, owner of Outlaw River & Jeep Tours, and his vehicle on U.S. Forest Service roads on numerous occasions in July and August this year.
Harper is familiar with court proceedings.
In late 2011, he was convicted of groping two women while giving them a snowmobile tour in the Cascade Creek area in February that year. He was sentenced in March 2012 to four years probation and required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 10 years, pay more than $10,000 in costs and abstain from alcohol and drugs while on probation.
A San Juan County jury found him not guilty of a third similar charge. The three counts were misdemeanors.
In a related hearing Monday before West, James Blacksher, a Harper employee, showed up to answer a violation notice. It’s alleged that on Aug. 14 as an Outlaw River & Jeep Tours employee he conducted without Forest Service authorization a guided Jeep tour on Brooklyn Mine Road in the national forest.
Blacksher is going to seek legal counsel, and he is scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. Sept. 3.
daler@durangoherald.com
