Police Cracking Down on Ski Pass Fraud at Lake Tahoe Resorts
Skiers at Palisades Tahoe, California noticed the presence of police officers and deputies at the base of chairlifts on Sunday, March 16, 2025.Why were these officers standing near the RFID gates of each lift? According to a recent social media post by the Placer County Sheriff's Office, the initiative has been spurred by an increase in season pass fraud at resorts across North Lake Tahoe."The Placer County Sheriff's Office will be partnering with local ski resorts in an attempt to help crack down on these thefts," writes the Sheriff's Office. "As a reminder using another person's pass or lift ticket is a crime."According to California Penal Code § 537 PC, defrauding a ski resort by using somebody else's season pass falls under the same category as defrauding a restaurant, hotel, or other service-related business.Ski pass defrauders can face up to one year of imprisonment in a County or State jail, and be fined for the value of the pass. Full Ikon Pass prices were sold for as low as $1,249 this season.Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates.
Social media users are expressing negative feedback for the Placer County Sheriff's Office's new ski pass initiative. The dissenting opinions are focused on tax dollars and resources:"What a waste of resources they already pay people to do that," writes Brandon Beck. Beck is referring to the Palisades Tahoe employees that are stationed at each RFID gate to ensure that passes belong to the skiers using them."I don't want my tax dollars used for this. Let the resorts staff ticket scanners appropriately and hire their own private security," writes Tahoe resident Ashley Vander Meer."That's right you better pay your $250 per day pass otherwise we will crack down on you," writes an unidentified Instagram user.Ski bums and locals are highlighting how expensive season passes and lift tickets cost at many ski resorts these days. Some are arguing that the only way they can afford to ski is by borrowing somebody else's pass. Regardless of the financial strains of modern skiing, The Placer County Sheriff's Office seems committed to cracking down on fraud. "Those who are caught will face consequences," the social post ends.POWDER will continue to cover this developing story.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


American Military News
an hour ago
- American Military News
2 men accused of neo-Nazi affiliation and possession of military weapons at Lacey home
A Thurston County judge set bail at $500,000 Tuesday for two Lacey men accused of being white nationalist extremists and hoarding weapons. The Sheriff's Office arrested the two men after federal law enforcement executed a search warrant at a home on the 3000 block of Puget Meadow Loop Northeast, just east of Willamette Drive, in Lacey. Law enforcement seized more than 35 firearms from the home, including short-barrel rifles, machine guns, handguns and a short-barrel shotgun, according to court records. They also seized various other weapons, explosives and equipment, some of which were restricted Army-issued munitions. Officers reported these items were stored alongside Nazi flags and paraphernalia. Aside from the firearms, law enforcement say they found grenade launchers, flash bang or stun grenades, blasting caps, body armor, ballistic helmets, night vision goggles, hundreds of magazines and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Following the search, the Sheriff's Office booked the two men into the county jail on suspicion of unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle and unlawful possession of explosives without a license. On Tuesday, Sheriff Derek Sanders posted about the investigation on Facebook and shared photos of the equipment and Nazi imagery found within the home. Sanders said his office assisted the Army Criminal Investigation Division with the investigation and a Federal Bureau of Investigation SWAT team executed the warrant. The Army CID sought to search the home after determining the two men were involved in a 'violent robbery and theft of military weaponry/armor,' Sanders said. 'Fantastic work by Army CID and our SWAT Commander to get these items recovered swiftly,' Sanders said in his post. Court records indicate the alleged robbery and theft occurred at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and law enforcement believe the two men are actively involved in the 'White Nationalist Socialist Movement (Nazi).' Sanders said the two men will likely face additional federal charges once the Army CID investigation is completed. Thurston County Judge John Skinder set bail at $500,000 for each of the men, who were identified as Charles Ethan Fields, 26, and Levi Austin Frakes, 27. He did so after finding probable cause for possession, manufacture or disposal of an incendiary device, multiple counts of unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, and unlawful possession of a machine gun. In setting their release conditions, Skinder determined the court could not be reasonably assured the men would return to court when required, there exists a substantial danger they may commit a violent crime, and they may seek to interfere with the case. Skinder also ordered them to not own or control weapons or firearms as well as to undergo electronic home monitoring with a GPS device if they are released from jail. The investigation A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the two men from the perspective of law enforcement. On Monday, an Army CID agent asked Sheriff's Lt. Sean Chatterton, the county's SWAT Team Commander, to be their liaison for a search of a Lacey residence. The agent informed Chatterton that the Army CID obtained a search warrant from Thurston County Superior Court that stemmed from an investigation into a robbery and assault that occurred at JBLM. The two men allegedly entered into the Ranger Regiment area of the base to steal body armor, helmets and military equipment. A soldier confronted the two men and a 'physical fight broke out,' according to the statement. One of the men allegedly struck the soldier in the head with a hammer, causing a significant head injury. The soldier continued to fight and one of the men pulled out a knife. The fight ended and the two men fled the scene. As they left, one of the men dropped a hat with the name 'Fields' on it. The Army CID identified the two men as Charles Ethan Fields and Levi Austin Frakes with the help of video and gate entrance records. Fields and Frakes reportedly had access to JBLM because they are military veterans. The FBI SWAT Team served the search warrant for the Lacey home, and both Fields and Frakes were detained at the scene. Once the scene was secure, Chatterton walked through the home and saw various weapons, explosives and equipment as well as Nazi paraphernalia. Photos shared by Sanders show Nazi and SS flags as well as a framed photos, one of Adolf Hitler and another of an eagle statue with a Nazi swastika. An Army explosive ordinance disposal specialist responded to the scene and verified that the blasting caps, flag bangs and smoke grenades were restricted Army issued munitions. The Army took possession of the restricted munitions and the Army CID collected all evidence for the case. Based on the search and investigation, the statement says Chatterton believes the two men 'pose an extreme danger to the community.' ___ © 2025 The Olympian Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Country singer Conner Smith hits, kills woman walking dog in crosswalk, police say
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A woman was killed when she was hit by a vehicle while walking a dog in the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville Sunday night. Investigators have identified the driver as 24-year-old Conner Smith, a country singer and Nashville native. According to local police, 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins was walking from a dog park and was in a crosswalk when she was hit by a pickup truck. Dobbins was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died. Investigators believe Smith was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck north on Third Avenue North as Dobbins was crossing when he hit her around 7:30 p.m. Police said Smith showed no signs of impairment. The preliminary cause of the crash was Smith 'failing to yield the right of way' to Dobbins, the agency said in a release. As of Monday, no charges had been filed. 'On June 8th, Mr. Smith was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed a life. His heart goes out to Ms. Dobbins' family during this incredibly difficult time. Mr. Smith continues to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation,' Smith's attorney said in a statement to Nexstar's WKRN. Photos from a performance in Nashville were posted to Smith's official Instagram page Sunday, but there was no statement on the crash. Smith appeared to be back in his hometown for CMA Fest, a country music festival that took place over the weekend. His most popular songs include 'Creek Will Rise' and 'I Hate Alabama.'

an hour ago
1-year-old girl dies after being left in hot car for 9 hours; dad arrested for murder
A Louisiana dad has been arrested for second-degree murder after he allegedly left his 1-year-old daughter in a hot car for over nine hours, authorities said. The incident unfolded after Joseph Boatman "consumed multiple alcoholic beverages" and then went to pick up his 21-month-old daughter from a relative's house shortly after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said. Boatman, 32, allegedly strapped his daughter into her car seat, went inside the Madisonville home and didn't return to the car, the sheriff's office said. More than nine hours later, deputies were sent to the house after a family member found the toddler unresponsive in the car, authorities said. The temperature in Madisonville climbed to 95 degrees on Sunday; the heat index -- what temperature it feels like -- reached 105 degrees. "This is a devastating loss that no family ever wants to face," Sheriff Randy Smith said in a statement. "When a child is left in a vehicle, especially on a day when the heat index climbs over 100 degrees, the outcome can turn deadly in a matter of minutes. This case involved compromised judgment, and the result was heartbreaking." The girl is the fifth child to die in a hot car in the U.S. this year, according to national nonprofit On average, 38 children die in hot cars every year in the U.S. About 88% of them are 3 years old or younger, said.