Steve Powers, who helped Marine Lance Hering fake his disappearance, given chance to clear record

"An Uphill Battle," an April 2007 Westword feature article written by Adam Cayton-Holland, told an unusual story of friendship between Steve Powers and best pal Lance Hering. When Hering, a U.S. Marine, decided to fake his own disappearance in Eldorado Canyon rather than return to Camp Pendleton, Powers volunteered to...

By Michael Roberts

February 26, 2010

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"An Uphill Battle," an April 2007 Westword feature article written by Adam Cayton-Holland, told an unusual story of friendship between Steve Powers and best pal Lance Hering. When Hering, a U.S. Marine, decided to fake his own disappearance in Eldorado Canyon rather than return to Camp Pendleton, Powers volunteered to help -- setting off a search of the area like none that had come before it.

Today, Powers has a chance to finally put the incident behind him -- but he's got some work to do first. The Boulder Daily Camera reports that Powers's record will be wiped clean if he stays out of trouble for the next eighteen months and completes an additional 200 hours of community service -- the same amount he'd already done in relation to his 2007 conviction for false reporting.

The deal is similar to one offered to Hering. Their hoax may be in the past, but a connection remains.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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