Alexander M.M. Uballez U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico
A Santa Fe resident, Jesse Foster, has been sentenced to six months of probation for vandalizing ancient petroglyphs at the La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Area near Santa Fe. He is also required to pay $1,996.44 in restitution and perform community service as part of his sentence.
Court documents reveal that on October 19, 2022, Foster drove to the site and spray-painted several areas around the petroglyphs. These historic drawings hold cultural significance for the Cochiti and Santo Domingo Pueblos and date back from the 13th to the 17th century.
Foster pled guilty on September 27, 2024, to charges of damaging or defacing archaeological resources. His sentence includes completing a total of 98 hours of community service. Of these hours, 48 are dedicated specifically to benefiting the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), while the remaining 50 hours will support public lands and cultural conservation efforts.
The U.S. Attorney's Office and BLM emphasized that Foster was not involved in a prior vandalism incident at the same location. Instead, his graffiti was intended as a less offensive counterbalance to previous acts.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Josiah Andrews, Special Agent in Charge of BLM, announced this outcome today.
The investigation was conducted by BLM's Office of Law Enforcement and Security with assistance from the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tavo Hall.
