TONTO NATIONAL FOREST — Mark Aaron Gatz pleaded guilty to violating fire restrictions and unlawful residential use of federal forest land, according to a judgment filed Tuesday. He was sentenced to three months of probation and ordered to pay $20 in criminal penalties.

Under a plea agreement, Gatz avoided restitution of up to $5,000 to the U.S. Forest Service. He also agreed to avoid visiting national forests in Arizona and to avoid using cannabis. Gatz was arrested on June 25.

U.S. Forest Service officers wrote in probable cause statements that they had contact with Gatz last year and this year, noting he had been warned previously about building campfires during restrictions. In the June 30 judgment, U.S. Magistrate Judge Camille D. Bibles stated, "Defendant has been living illegally on the U.S.F.S. lands and has violated fire restrictions despite prior warnings and citations for doing so."

Gatz was initially charged with 18 federal counts, including building illegal fires, overstaying time limits for camping, and leaving trash in unsanitary conditions. Officers found Gatz's SUV under a canopy structure in the woods, located about half a mile down a two-way dirt trail. A probable cause statement noted, "The campfire was located inside an illegal structure that was built with stone for cooking food."

Gatz had amassed six federal warrants by the time of his arrest. Officers warned him in May 2025 to clean up his campsite and vacate the area within two weeks. At that time, Gatz had reportedly occupied the campsite for two years.

Gatz told law enforcement that he had resided in the forest for approximately eight years by the date of his arrest. During this period, he accumulated a collection of refuse at his campsite, including tires, plastic bags, trash bags, and aluminum cans. One officer estimated the trash pile weighed 1,000 pounds.