A former National Park Service employee has been sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $249,000 after stealing campsite and tour fees over a four-year period. U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig handed down the sentence on Monday in Cape Girardeau.
Lisa Figge, who worked as a supervisory visitor use assistant at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, was responsible for collecting cash payments for guided tours of Round Spring Cave and from metal drop boxes at campsites known as “Iron Rangers.” According to court records, between 2019 and 2023, Figge stole some of this cash and deposited it into her own account.
The theft came to light on August 28, 2023, when Figge was caught on video taking $1,200 while counting cash. She was then observed stopping at her personal bank before visiting the bank used by the Park Service. In an interview with investigators that same day, Figge admitted to stealing money from both the cave tour program and the fee collection program. She also acknowledged altering records and creating a false deposit report in an attempt to conceal her actions. Although she did not keep track of the total amount stolen, parties involved agreed that losses exceeded $200,000.
Figge has already repaid $100,000 toward restitution.
In September, Figge pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of theft of government property.
“The extent of this theft from the National Park Service is alarming,” said Katie Balestra, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General (DOI-OIG). “We are committed to identifying and investigating this type of unlawful behavior that erodes the public’s trust.”
The case was investigated by DOI-OIG with help from the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn prosecuted the case.
