Man ordered to pay restitution after stealing thousands from Michigan state campground site "pay pipes"
A Lansing-area man has been ordered to pay a total $8,000 in restitution and reimbursements over money stolen from remote campground site "pay pipes" in Michigan Department of Natural Resources state forests.
Justyn Mark Spitzley, 36, of Sunfield, had already pleaded guilty to one felony charge of larceny of more than $1,000 but less than $20,000, and one misdemeanor charge of operating on a suspended license, the DNR reported. The restitution hearing took place on June 16 in Luce County District Court.
He was also sentenced to one year in prison, with credit for 81 days served.
Spitzley had targeted several of the payment collection sites known as "pay pipes," where campers deposit cash to pay for their stay, according to the report.
Michigan state parks staff had noticed that collections at several remote campgrounds in Luce County came up "way short on campsite fees" during the 2023-24 season, with several thousand dollars unaccounted for.
DNR conservation officers and special investigative unit detectives then worked with Michigan State Police, Sault Ste. Marie Police and the Mackinac Bridge Authority to set up surveillance and identify a possible suspect.
A series of campsite pay pipe break-ins in the Upper Peninsula during October 2024 then led to the charges.
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