Man pleads guilty to vandalizing Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

CAPE HATTERAS, N.C. – The National Park Service says a North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to vandalizing the more than century-old Cape Hatteras Lighthouse by carving initials into its bronze door with a pocketknife.

A park service news release Tuesday said 39-year-old Jamie Lester Underwood of Winston-Salem etched the letters “SEF” into the door while visiting the landmark last year on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. A park official says the initials represented one of Underwood’s friends.

Park service rangers got a tip in the case after issuing a plea for clues in a Facebook post.

Underwood entered his plea July 8. A federal judge ordered Underwood to pay $1,922 in restitution for repairs and gave him one year of probation.

The lighthouse was completed in 1870. It’s designated as a National Historic Landmark.