EAGLE RIVER, MI— Three people were sentenced earlier this month for entering a Keweenaw County mine and taking materials.
The Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office says it happened in March of 2020. Brent Hiltunen, 39, Ike Kinsinger, 40, and Erick Grandchamp, 40—all from Calumet—were arrested for illegally entering a mine in Copper Falls and taking minerals.
Hiltunen and Kingsinger were found guilty by a jury in November of breaking and entering-illegal entry. They were sentenced January 12th to 30 days in jail.
Grandchamp pleaded guilty last May to a trespassing charge and was sentenced to probation.
The Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that it is illegal to enter a mine without permission. It is also a very dangerous
activity that not only puts the entering people in harm’s way, but endangers the lives of first responders that would have to enter the mine to rescue those individuals.
Additionally, humans entering a bat habitat can have a significant negative impact on the health and well-being of those animals.
