Nampa man gets 9 months in prison for stealing rocks - lots of them - from public land

A Nampa man has been sentenced to nine months in prison for stealing rocks from BLM land, and not just any rocks. Brian Kirkpatrick, 46, pleaded guilty to stealing more than 9,800 pounds of sandstone from federal BLM property to sell commercially for use in landscaping projects. He had a similar federal offense in 2009, and is currently in state prison on related state charges. “Protecting Idaho’s public lands is a priority for my office,” said U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson. “Public lands are just that: They are there for the public to enjoy. This prosecution hopefully sends a strong message that my office will prosecute those who illegally exploit public lands for their own gain.” Kirkpatrick’s conviction is for theft of government property.