FORMER Olympic canoeist David Hearn has been indicted on a felony charge after allegedly damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
He now faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted over the bizarre incident.
Hearn was charged by a Washington, DC, grand jury with destroying property worth more than $1,000.
The indictment claims he “maliciously did injure, break and destroy” the lining material at the bottom of the landmark pool.
Hearn was arrested last month after reaching into the water and touching a loose flap of blue material.
He previously said that part of the lining had already detached when he approached it.
A National Park Service worker warned him not to reach into the pool before US Park Police placed him in handcuffs, he said.
Hearn has denied vandalizing the landmark and insisted he touched the material only because he was curious.
His attorney said he had not yet been made aware of the latest development in the case, CNN reported.
The lawyer said Hearn had previously received a citation involving less serious misdemeanour allegations.
The grand jury indictment now raises the case to a felony carrying a maximum 10-year sentence.
Hearn represented the US in canoe slalom at three Olympic Games.
His arrest came shortly after the Reflecting Pool reopened following President Donald Trump’s multimillion-dollar renovation.
The troubled project has since been hit by bright green algae, peeling sealant, repair work, and repeated claims of deliberate vandalism.
Crews were photographed scraping algae from the water and using chlorine compounds, hydrogen peroxide, and a $1.7million nanobubble system to tackle the bloom.
Officials insisted the algae was part of the pool’s “normal startup process” after its supply lines had sat dormant during construction.
A dead duckling was also found floating in murky water, although its cause of death remains unknown and there is no evidence linking it to the chemicals or repair work.
Pictures of the pool showed the water turning such a vivid green that the landmark appeared to blend into the surrounding lawns when viewed from above.
The project was intended to be completed before this weekend’s Independence Day celebrations.
Trump had personally selected an “American Flag Blue” coating and claimed the new surface would prevent the pool from leaking.
However, sections of the lining began peeling soon after the pool was refilled, while officials said other areas had been cut with a knife or razor.
But algae and peeling paint or sealant appeared soon after the public was allowed back near the pool.
Trump later warned that people accused of “vandalizing” the site could face lengthy prison terms.
The Interior Department later said seven people had been arrested, seven others had received federal citations, and 18 police reports had been filed.
Police also released footage of a woman reaching into the pool as investigators sought to identify her, although she was not publicly accused of causing damage.
Chain-link fencing was installed around sections of the landmark amid the investigation and preparations for the July 4 celebrations.
Trump claimed someone used a sharp object to carve a long gash into the lining.
The president said those responsible appeared to have used “probably a box cutter or a very sharp razor of some kind or a knife.”
“They went down with probably a box cutter or a very sharp razor of some kind or a knife, and they cut, and then they started ripping it up,” he said.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16622975/olympian-david-hearn-charged-vandalizing-reflecting-pool/
