A Gunnison man was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison after bulldozing 3 acres of federal land in Saguache County.
Robert Timothy Allen resisted state and federal regulators’ attempts to resolve the bulldozing amicably. Allen cited an 1800s mining law for why he had rights to Bureau of Land Management land, U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said on Wednesday.
Allen made threats to law enforcement and said he would resist arrest with guns.
“The state got involved, asked him to stop, try to have him come to a hearing, offered to resolve the matter, tried to get him to cease and desist,” Dunn said. “We were left with no choice, but to find a way to arrest him and bring him into court.”
Allen was living off the grid in Gunnison and law enforcement say he was practicing long-range shooting.
Dunn said he didn’t know what there was to mine in the land — but that it would have to be repaired after the bulldozer damage.
Allen won’t be able to own firearms after he serves federal prison time — felons in Colorado can’t own guns.
