Federal prosecutors drop charges in Reflecting Pool vandalism cases

Federal prosecutors in the District of Columbia have dropped criminal charges against three individuals accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This decision follows the dismissal of a felony case against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office. The three individuals, Justin Carreno, Sophie Dennison-Gibby, and Cameron Thiers, were facing misdemeanor charges related to property damage valued at less than $1,000. The cases have been marked as 'closed' on the D.C. Superior Court’s webpage after prosecutors reviewed evidence indicating that the damage was due to flawed construction rather than vandalism. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Pirro’s decision to drop the Hearn case, asserting that vandals were responsible for the damage. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum supported this claim, stating that his agency provided evidence of vandalism. The dismissals have had repercussions for the defendants, with Carreno losing his job as a government contractor due to the charges.