The Bureau of Land Management in Moab confirmed on March 19 that its office is investigating a recent report about a group of men involved in defacing a rock with a carving, and has turned the case over to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The drama began to unfold online via Instagram and is chronicled by “Outside” magazine in an article published on March 11, “Truck Bros, Vandalism, and the Great Internet Mob.”
A Utah-based news site says the men are social media and YouTube content producers who were given permission to film at the San Rafael Swell, but went to Moab instead and someone in the group scrawled “TCM BST” on a rock.
The abbreviation stands for Tacoma Beast, a Toyota parts and accessories dealer. One member of the group has admitted on Instagram to creating the graffiti, saying that “they” face a criminal charge for a class A misdemeanor and had met with local law enforcement at BLM-Moab on March 14.
In a recent online post, they said they have “learned a lot” from this incident and to help resolve it, the group now says it would like to create an educational video.
There have been numerous reports of vandalism and graffiti in southeast Utah and the Moab area in recent years.
Off-road social media producers allegedly deface rock, offer to make educational video
