When the United States' monetary system was in its infancy, gold was the driving force of the nation's financial structure. Today, with the struggling economy and weak job market, fulfilling the American dream isn't as easy as striking gold, but as the old adage goes, when a system breaks down, go back to fundamentals.
While that may seem like sound advice to some, one California resident found out all too well that a criminal attorney may suggest otherwise if that means trying to compromise modern ordinances. Times have changed since the 1850's, and Joseph Hardesty's alleged pursuit of the precious metal has lead him on a golden-paved road to court.
According to The Associated Press, both state and local authorities claim that Hardesty is running a large-scale illegal gold-mining operation in Sierra Nevada. The 54-year-old business operator turned himself into authorities after they had searched two locations he had ties to, and is being held at El Dorado County Jail facing state fines of nearly $900,000 and 14 criminal charges, including four felonies.
Though Hardesty turned himself in a day after the AP published a story about the mine, his attorney, William Brewer, maintains that his client is not mining gold, but rather running a sand and gravel operation, according to the news source.
"It's unfortunate that our government has decided in this case to take away our liberties and our rights without adequate process," Brewer told the media outlet.
Hardesty said that he has a "historic right" to run the mine, but authorities do not agree, alleging that he lacks proper permits, operated despite stop orders, used hazardous materials illegally and breached zoning laws, among other infractions the wire service stated.
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