Photo: MATTHEW HATCHER / AFP / Getty Images
A Carlisle, Pennsylvania man is facing serious federal charges after authorities say he carved his initials into two historic monuments at Gettysburg National Military Park last fall.
Lucas J. Reisinger, 36, was arrested on Thursday (March 6) by National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement rangers and Carlisle police. He is charged with two felony counts of destruction of veterans' memorials.
According to NPS officials, Reisinger allegedly used a knife to etch the initials "LJR" into the plaque of the 44th New York Infantry Monument and into the face of Colonel Patrick O'Rorke on the 140th New York Infantry Monument. The carving took place between 5 and 6 p.m. on Sunday (September 14, 2025). Both monuments stand in the Little Round Top area of the battlefield, one of Gettysburg's most visited and historically significant landmarks.
Rangers initially received a report of an adult male using a knife on a monument at Little Round Top that September afternoon. Through investigative work, rangers gathered evidence that led to a federal grand jury indictment and the issuance of an arrest warrant by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Each felony charge under 18 U.S.C. § 1369 carries a maximum penalty of $250,000 and up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted on both counts, Reisinger could face up to 20 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. NPS is also seeking full restitution for the damaged monuments, estimated at more than $11,000, according to PennLive.
The NPS credited several agencies for their help in cracking the case. "The National Park Service thanks the Carlisle Police Department, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch, the U.S. Marshal's Service, and the Adams County Department of Emergency Services for their assistance in this investigation," the agency said.
The vandalism at Gettysburg is not an isolated incident. In a separate case, multiple monuments at the battlefield were smeared with an oil-based substance in January, according to PennLive.
Reisinger is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. The case remains pending.