Keweenaw County — Two Calumet Township men were sentenced to 30 days in jail on Jan. 12 for one count each of breaking and entering — illegal entry.

A third man, Erick Grandchamp, 40, also from Calumet Township, was sentenced to probation when he pleaded guilty to a trespass charge, as part of a plea agreement, in May 2022.

They were found guilty of the charges by a jury trial on Nov. 3, 2022.

Brent Hiltunen, 39, Ike Kisinger, 40, and Grandchamp received sentences stemming from charges of illegally entering the Copper Falls mine in Houghton Township, on March 29, 2020, for taking minerals from the mine.

At the time, the Sheriff’s Office said they had received an anonymous phone call in reference to suspicious activity at the shaft on March 29, and arrested the three at 8:50 p.m.

The arrests were made after a joint investigation between the Sheriff’s Office, Department of Natural Resources conservation officers, and the Keweenaw County Mine Inspector, the Sheriff’s Office said at the time.

The Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public that it is illegal to enter a mine without permission.

It is also a very dangerous activity that not only puts the perpetrators in harm’s way, but endangers the lives of first responders that would have to enter the mine to rescue those individuals, said Sheriff Curt Pennala.

Additionally, humans entering a bat habitat can have a significant negative impact on the health and well-being of the bats, particularly in regard to white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has been decimating bat colonies across the United States.

The Humane Society of the United States reports that humans who visit caves play an unintentional part in spreading the fungus from cave to cave, as it can linger on clothing and gear. To reduce exposure of hibernating bat populations, authorities have closed many caves to recreational visits.