Fired Crater Lake Park cook: 18 months for fighting rangers

A cook at Crater Lake National Park, fired for excessive alcohol consumption, was sentenced this week to 18 months in federal prison for getting in a fight with park rangers after his dismissal, prosecutors said Friday.

Senior U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner also sentenced John Charles Saubert, 47, on Tuesday to three years of supervised release after he completes his prison term.

Last Sept. 23, Saubert was terminated as a cook with Xanterra Parks and Resorts at Crater Lake National Park due to excessive alcohol and performance issues, federal prosecutors said.

During a shuttle ride back to his dorm, Saubert was disturbing other riders and allegedly fondled a woman’s leg after being told to stop, they said.

Park rangers and the Xanterra manager contacted Saubert at his dorm room and warned that Saubert would be allowed to remain on the premises until the next day, but only if he remained in his dorm room.

About 10 minutes later, the park rangers said they saw Saubert staggering outside and being very loud. When the rangers told Saubert he was under arrest, Saubert responded, “I’m not going without a fight.”

Saubert jerked his hand away from a ranger’s grasp, hitting the ranger in the face, and shoved another ranger against the patrol car, prosecutors said.

Saubert was wrestled to the ground but continued to fight despite the officers’ commands to stop resisting, they said, adding that one ranger suffered bruised knees as a result of the fight.

After rangers placed Saubert in a patrol car, Saubert continued screaming profanities, banging his head against the window and threatening to kill the officers and their families.

At Saubert’s initial federal court appearance the next day, he was released from custody and required to re-appear a week later. But Saubert failed to appear, and an arrest warrant was issued.

The U.S. Marshal’s Service tracked Saubert to a luxury resort in southern Utah, where he had begun working as a chef. The marshals arrested Saubert on October 5th and transported him back to Oregon.

This case was investigated by the Crater Lake Park Rangers and the U. S. Marshal’s Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas W. Fong.