Man Sentenced for Parading an Injured Wolf Around a Bar

A Wyoming man has been placed on probation after a case involving the mistreatment and killing of a wolf that drew widespread attention and criticism.

District Judge Richard Lavery in Pinedale sentenced 44-year-old Cody Roberts on Wednesday to 18 months of probation as part of a plea agreement reached with prosecutors in February. In addition to probation, Roberts was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and follow several restrictions, including abstaining from alcohol and staying out of bars and liquor stores. He is also barred from hunting and fishing during the probation period.

Roberts avoided a potential sentence of up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty. He had originally denied the charges, with a trial scheduled for March, but later changed his plea. At a March hearing, he expressed regret and apologized to his family and community.

The case stems from an incident in February 2024 in Daniel, a small community south of Jackson. Authorities say a wolf was struck with a snowmobile, later restrained, and taken to a rural bar before being killed. Photos and video that later circulated online sparked public outrage and renewed debate over Wyoming’s wildlife laws, which allow broad discretion in how predators such as wolves may be taken in much of the state.

Roberts had previously been fined $250 for illegal possession of wildlife, but a Wyoming grand jury later indicted him on animal cruelty charges, a relatively uncommon step in the state.

The case prompted criticism from wildlife advocates. Dagny Signorelli, Wyoming director for the Western Watersheds Project, said the outcome highlighted concerns about how animal cruelty cases involving wild animals are handled under current law, arguing that the punishment did not match the severity of what occurred.

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