For Immediate Release

April 8, 2026

Contact: 

• Dagny Signorelli, Western Watersheds Project, 970-312-1828, dagny@westernwatersheds.org
• Lisa Robertson, Wyoming Untrapped, 307-690-9528,  lisarob22@gmail.com

Judge Accepts Plea Agreement, Sentences Cody Roberts to Probation in Wolf Torture Case

PINEDALE, Wyo– Today, a Wyoming state court judge accepted Daniels resident Cody Roberts’ plea agreement and sentenced him to probation in a widely-condemned animal cruelty case involving the prolonged torture of a wild gray wolf. 

The case has drawn international attention and widespread condemnation after details emerged that Roberts injured and then captured a live wolf, subjected the animal to prolonged suffering, and displayed the wolf publicly before ultimately killing him. The incident sparked outrage across the country and renewed scrutiny of wildlife protections and enforcement in Wyoming.

During the hearing, the court made clear that the criminal conduct was not the initial capture of the wolf – running over him with a snowmobile to disable the animal – which is currently legal under Wyoming law, but what followed. The judge emphasized that once the animal was in Roberts’ control, prolonging his confinement rather than releasing or killing the wolf constituted cruelty.

Despite this acknowledgment, the court accepted a plea agreement for a nonviolent felony under which Roberts received a fully-suspended sentence of 18 months to two years incarceration, a $5,000 fine with $4,000 suspended, and 18 months of supervised probation, meaning he will serve no jail time if he complies with standard (but temporary) probation conditions, including substance abuse treatment, a prohibition on alcohol, and restrictions on hunting.

“This outcome spotlights a difficult reality in Wyoming that some forms of cruelty to wild animals are still legal or considered nonviolent,” said Dagny Signorelli, Wyoming Director at Western Watersheds Project. “A wolf was deliberately and maliciously run down with a snowmobile, tormented, and publicly displayed while suffering, yet the legal outcome for the wolf’s killer is a plea deal that includes no jail time. At the very least, Roberts should have received a permanent revocation of hunting and firearms privileges.”

Today’s outcome follows a broader pattern in Wyoming in which violations involving predators have resulted in limited penalties or avoided prosecution altogether. In one case, an outfitter who illegally killed a wolf inside Grand Teton National Park received only probation, a fine, and a temporary suspension of hunting privileges. In another, ranchers involved in unlawful aerial gunning of wolves and coyotes were investigated under federal law but ultimately not prosecuted, with the activity folded into a federal agency permit after the fact. 

Taken together, these cases point to a systemic failure to treat violations involving predators with the seriousness they warrant.

“When cruelty is acknowledged but accountability is limited, it sends a signal that Wyoming isn’t serious about enforcement, not just about this case but about what will be tolerated going forward,” added Signorelli. “The larger issue now moves beyond the courtroom and to the lawmakers who should do their part to help prevent future abuses.”

Following public outrage over the Roberts’ incident, Wyoming lawmakers passed House Bill 275, but the law failed to fully address the core conduct that shocked the public: The statute still does not clearly prohibit running predators over with vehicles.

“What’s striking isn’t just this case, it’s how familiar it feels. We’ve seen repeated examples in Wyoming where serious violations involving predators are met with minimal consequences, and that pattern is exactly what lawmakers need to confront,” said Lisa Robertson, President of Wyoming Untrapped.

At the federal level, lawmakers have introduced the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons (SAW) Act, which would prohibit the use of snowmobiles to run down wildlife on federal lands. While the SAW Act addresses conduct on federal lands, it does not solve all of the gaps that exist under Wyoming state law.

Western Watersheds Project is a nonprofit environmental conservation group dedicated to protecting and restoring native wildlife and watersheds throughout the American West.

Wyoming Untrapped promotes trapping reform through education, advocacy, and compassionate coexistence for Wyoming’s people, pets and wildlife.

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