
A Winston-Salem man pleaded guilty earlier this month in federal court to vandalizing the original bronze door at the base of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in June 2018, after a tip from the public led to his arrest.
Shortly after the information was published, a tip was received that helped National Park Service rangers focus their efforts on 39-year-old Jamie Lester Underwood.
Investigators determined Underwood used a pocket knife to etch the letters “SEF” into the lighthouse’s original bronze door.
Underwood appeared in federal court on July 8 before Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle in Elizabeth City, who ordered Underwood to pay $1,922 in restitution for repairs and serve one year of probation.
Earlier this year, a conservator treated the affected area of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse door.