From Hot Springs National Park comes news of a year-long investigation that led to a conviction and one-year sentence of a man who stole five stainless steel bathtubs from Hot Springs bathhouses to sell as scrap.

The National Park Service reported that Paul Watt, 26, pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $3,500 restitution in addition to serving 12 months. The tubs were taken in a break-in May 1, 2012 at a maintenance facility. Park rangers recovered the stolen tubs, which had been sold for $700 to a local scrap yard. The tubs had been damaged with a torch and broken down.

Advertisement

After a year of investigation, which included reviews of bank records, video surveillance and witness testimony, Ranger Zach Summerlin took the case to the U.S. attorney. It included evidence that Watt had tried to repay the scrap yard for its loss to cover up the theft and that he’d conspired with a 16-year-old to falsely implicate someone else.

The tubs, because of their “unique historic nature,” had a replacement value of $15,000, the Park Service said. It wasn’t the first tub caper in the Spa. Two men were convicted in 2011 in the theft of three tubs. 

Advertisement

Be a Part of the Fight

Step up and make a difference by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times, the progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock that's been fighting for truth for 50 years. Our tough, determined, and feisty journalism has earned us over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, all of whom value our commitment to holding the powerful accountable. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Join us in the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times today.

Previous article Land commissioner enters agreement to protect endangered species Next article NAACP says Mark Martin and state have failed to ease burden on voters from Voter ID law