Guilty, No Jail Time in Notorious Wolf Abuse Case

Cody Roberts, 44, was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months of supervised probation after pleading guilty to felony animal cruelty in the Wyoming wolf case that exploded into one of the state’s most notorious wildlife controversies in recent memory. The sentence includes a suspended prison term of up to 2 years, a $1,000 fine, and additional court costs and surcharges. If Roberts violates probation, he could still be sent to prison.

The case stems from Feb. 29, 2024, when Roberts used a snowmobile to run down and maim a wolf in Sublette County. He then taped the animal’s mouth shut, brought it into the Green River Bar in Daniel, and later killed it. The wolf had been classified as a predatory animal in the area where Roberts took possession of it. Wyoming law has long allowed the taking of predatory animals without a license, generally at any time and in any manner, subject to specific exceptions.

A $250 Citation Turned Into a Felony Case

At first, the case seemed likely to end with little more than a slap on the wrist. Roberts initially paid a $250 citation for illegal possession of live wildlife. But once photos and videos from the bar circulated publicly in April 2024, the reaction was immediate and ugly. The case drew widespread condemnation inside and outside Wyoming. Gov. Mark Gordon publicly criticized the act, which eventually led to a deeper criminal investigation.

That backlash didn’t fade. When Roberts later reached a plea deal, Judge Richard Lavery said his office had received at least 5,000 emails and countless calls about the case. In August 2025, a grand jury indicted Roberts on a felony animal cruelty charge, an uncommon move in Wyoming. It was a major escalation from the original wildlife citation.

The Predator vs. Protected Species Distinction

Roberts’ defense argued the case should be dismissed. They contended that wolves in that part of Wyoming were treated as predators rather than protected wildlife. Therefore, they fell outside the state’s cruelty law.

Judge Lavery rejected that argument in February 2026 and allowed the case to move toward trial. The court’s reasoning was straightforward: the legal issue was not simply that Roberts had captured a wolf, but what happened after the animal had been reduced to possession and kept alive in a cruel condition.

Roberts then changed his plea to guilty in March.

At sentencing on Wednesday, Lavery made the same distinction from the bench. Wyoming may give people broad latitude to kill predators, but not to keep one alive and torment it. Roberts’ probation conditions bar him from hunting, fishing, drinking alcohol, entering bars or liquor stores, and possessing certain weapons during the probation period.

The Case Changed Wyoming Law, But Not Entirely

The Roberts case quickly spilled into the legislature. In 2025, lawmakers passed HB0275, effective July 1, 2025. The law added penalties for torturing, tormenting, or mutilating living wildlife, including predatory animals, after reducing it to possession. It also requires someone who injures or incapacitates a predatory animal with a vehicle to make a reasonable effort to immediately kill it.

That wasn’t the only proposal. A separate 2025 bill, HB0003, titled Animal abuse-predatory animals, died in committee. Another measure, HB0153, was filed in the 2026 budget session and would have prohibited people on public land from intentionally harassing, pursuing, injuring, or killing wildlife or predatory animals with ground vehicles, including snow vehicles. That bill wasn’t considered for introduction.

So while Wyoming did tighten its cruelty statutes after the Roberts case, it still hasn’t enacted a full statewide ban on using snowmobiles or other ground vehicles to run down predators. That’s a big reason the case will continue to carry political weight even after this sentencing.