-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Arizona man caught leaving water bottles in the desert for illegal immigrants has been sentenced to 300 hours of community service and a year of probation , an aid group said . Walt Staton was convicted in June of littering by leaving jugs of water in a wildlife refuge . Walt Staton , a member of the group No More Deaths , left full water bottles in December in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge for the illegal immigrants who routinely pass through the 18,000-acre refuge , according to court documents . A judge sentenced him Tuesday to 300 hours of picking up trash on public property and a year of probation , No More Deaths said in a written statement . He is also banned from the refuge during that time , the group said . Although the case involved only a misdemeanor charge , both sides used the divisive issue of illegal immigration in their arguments ; Staton 's lawyer argued that Staton 's actions were humanitarian , but the government said otherwise . In a sentencing memo , the federal prosecutors wrote that Staton 's `` actions are not about humanitarian efforts , but about protesting the immigration policies of the United States , and aiding those that enter illegally into the United States . '' Noting the phrase scrawled on many of the plastic water jugs -- `` buena suerte , '' or `` good luck '' in Spanish -- the prosecutors said , `` The obvious conclusion is that the defendant and No More Deaths wish to aid illegal aliens in their entry attempt . '' They also said , as did the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , that leaving the full plastic jugs on the refuge is detrimental to the health of the animals that live there . Citing a biologist , the prosecutors said that animals could eat the plastic and that others could get feet or antlers caught on the bottles . Prosecutors had requested a $ 5,000 fine , along with five years of probation , according to court documents . Staton , who No More Deaths says is to begin seminary school at the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont , California , had initially refused to pay a $ 175 fine for littering , said Staton 's lawyer , Bill Walker . After his refusal , the government enhanced the charges against him , arguing that he `` knowingly littered , '' said Walker , who is also a member of No More Deaths . The charge can carry a $ 100,000 fine and a year in jail , Walker said . Charges against three other people who were cited with Staton in December were dropped , he said . A jury convicted Staton in June of littering . Walker said he is appealing . `` We think that Walt did nothing wrong , '' he said . `` We do not think that this conviction will be upheld on appeal . '' He described Staton as `` the kind of guy you 'd want to have as your next door neighbor . '' A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney 's office in Arizona declined comment . Mike Hawkes of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge said Thursday that although he had no issue with groups leaving water out for illegal immigrants , `` there 's ways to do it without leaving plastic jugs out there . '' He said the plastic jugs were strewn throughout the refuge , which is home to hundreds of bird , reptile and mammal species , according to its Web site . `` We have sympathy for what they have to do , '' he said . But `` they have do to do it without putting plastic bottles out there . ... You ca n't go anywhere in the refuge without seeing plastic bottles through the countryside . '' Hawkes said refuge officials and members of No More Deaths had met and were trying to come up with methods that do n't involve plastic bottles . Staton is the second member of No More Deaths to be convicted of littering , according to court documents ; however , the other received a suspended sentence . Walker said that after Staton 's conviction , 13 No More Deaths members were charged with littering on the refuge . With tens of thousands of illegal immigrants crossing through the refuge -- Hawkes said last year 's number was about 54,000 , down from hundreds of thousands years earlier -- the last water-related death there was in June 2008 , he said .