MI Man Convicted Of Tampering, Vandalizing Northern MI River: Feds

FRANKFORT, MI — A Michigan man was convicted of tampering and vandalizing the Platte River at Sleeping Bear Dunes last summer, federal officials announced Wednesday.

Andrew Blair Howard, 62, of Frankfort was convicted of one count of tampering and one count of vandalism. Both crimes are federal misdemeanors.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 6 months’ imprisonment, up to a $5,000 fine, up to 5 years’ probation, and mandatory restitution.

Howard was convicted in a bench trial by federal Magistrate Judge Ray Kent, who held that the defendant "intended to and in fact did divert the flow of the Platte River into Platte Bay."

On Aug. 15, 2022, Howard used a shovel to dig sediment and rocks from the Platte River and stacked large rocks on a dam to divert the river’s natural water flow toward a newly created channel out to Lake Michigan, according to federal officials.

The redirected route created unauthorized access for large boats to enter Platte Bay. Within days, the natural power of the water and the dam caused the new channel to reach roughly 200 feet wide, according to federal officials.

The Platte River flows through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore before it empties into Lake Michigan. It starts in Long Lake in Traverse City, and flows through Platte Bay, a small bay of Lake Michigan.

During the summer months, paddlers, tube floaters, and beachgoers drift down its meandering waters.