Man guilty of ruining 546 trees

A 60-year-old Arizona man was convicted Friday of destroying more than 500 trees in an upscale Henderson neighborhood where his in-laws own a home.

Douglas Hoffman, who used a cane as he walked into court to learn his fate, was taken into custody after a jury found him guilty of all counts in the case.

Juror Boyden Ralph, a 71-year-old Las Vegas resident, made only one comment when asked about the verdicts: "Justice was done."

Hoffman showed no reaction to the decision, but he looked back at his wife and shook his head as a bailiff led him out of the courtroom. The defendant's wife, Debbie, then broke down crying.

Debbie Hoffman, 44, testified during the trial and said she believes her husband is innocent. She said they have been married for 13 years and live in Goodyear, Ariz.

Prosecutors accused Douglas Hoffman of cutting down or poisoning 546 trees from October 2004 until his arrest in November 2005. He caused about $242,000 in damage.

"That's real money," Deputy District Attorney Josh Tomsheck said. "The defendant is the person responsible, and he needs to be held accountable."

The jury's seven men and five women deliberated about two hours.

Douglas Hoffman was convicted of seven felony counts and three gross misdemeanor counts of malicious destruction of trees on the land of another. Tomsheck said he knew of no other case in Nevada in which prosecutors had used the obscure charge.

The defendant could receive a prison term of up to five years for each of the felonies and a jail sentence of up to one year for each of the gross misdemeanors. He also could receive probation.

Tomsheck had not decided what penalty to recommend when Douglas Hoffman, who has no prior criminal record, faces District Judge Donald Mosley for sentencing Dec. 4.

Debbie Hoffman said her parents live in Chicago but also own a home in Sun City Anthem, an age-restricted community in Henderson. The Hoffmans care for the residence in the owners' absence, and Douglas Hoffman handles the landscaping.

At trial, Tomsheck suggested that Douglas Hoffman destroyed many of the trees in question to protect the view of the Strip from an observation deck in the home's backyard. The prosecutor suggested that Douglas Hoffman destroyed others "to cover his tracks."

Defense attorney Joseph Sciscento tried to establish that Douglas Hoffman's infirmities would have prevented him from cutting down hundreds of trees. Sciscento said the man was disabled by a chemical leak when he served in the U.S. Navy in 1982 and has had two hip replacements.

But Tomsheck said evidence showed that Douglas Hoffman often took long walks.

"This was not a physically frail individual who was not physically capable of cutting down trees," he told jurors.

Bill Edwards, an Anthem resident and retired captain from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department in California, spotted a man wandering along Anthem Parkway in the early hours of Nov. 26, 2005, and noticed freshly cut trees nearby. Edwards offered the man a ride but insisted on searching him first.

When Edwards searched the man, who identified himself as Douglas Hoffman, he found a bow saw in his jacket. Edwards took the man to a fire station, and police were called.

Tomsheck said the suspect tossed a pair of gardening gloves into the bathroom trash at the station. Douglas Hoffman, who declined to testify at his trial, told police he found the saw during his walk and decided to keep it.

During a search of the home owned by Douglas Hoffman's in-laws, police found letters written by Douglas Hoffman to Anthem officials in which he complained about the landscaping in the community.

After the conviction, Debbie Hoffman expressed concern that Anthem residents who attended the trial had mingled with jurors and could have swayed their decision. However, she said she never heard them discuss the case.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0264.