A federal grand jury in Washington has indicted former US Olympic canoeist David Hearn on a single felony count of destruction of property, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced on Thursday. Prosecutors allege that on 19 June, Hearn “forcefully and violently” pulled up roughly two square feet of newly installed sealant from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, causing more than $1,000 in damage. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Hearn, 67, is the first person to face a felony indictment among at least half a dozen individuals arrested or cited in connection with alleged vandalism at the landmark.

Hearn’s legal team, led by attorneys Norm Eisen and Mary Dohrmann, stated that their client is innocent and described the indictment as “outrageous and should be alarming to every American.” According to Hearn’s account, he stopped at the pool during a long bicycle ride and briefly touched a piece of sealant that was already peeling away; he maintains he did not remove, tear, or destroy any material. His defence argues that the charge represents an attempt by the Trump administration to shift blame for the pool’s widely reported deterioration, which followed a costly renovation project ordered by the president.

The Reflecting Pool underwent a more than $14 million refurbishment this spring, including a new dark blue liner and advanced algae-control technology. Within days of being refilled, however, algae blooms returned and large sections of the sealant began to detach. President Trump has repeatedly asserted, without providing evidence, that “vandals” used knives to cut the lining and poured chemicals into the water. National Park Service officials separately reported in court documents that the pool’s liner was cut with a sharp object on 9 June, ten days before the incident involving Hearn. Viewed from European capitals, the indictment has drawn attention as an escalation in the administration’s effort to frame the pool’s problems as the result of deliberate sabotage rather than technical failure.

US federal prosecutors say they have “tremendous evidence” and can prove damage beyond a reasonable doubt, while declining to comment on whether the sealant was already compromised before Hearn touched it. The case is proceeding in D.C. Superior Court, where a first hearing is scheduled for 9 July. The indictment intensifies a politically charged dispute over the renovation, with the administration facing scrutiny over a project that has left the iconic pool fenced off and discoloured ahead of Independence Day celebrations.