Roberts seeks plea deal, probation in wolf cruelty case
Roughly two years after an alleged incident involving the capture and torture of a wolf in Sublette County in February 2024, Cody Roberts of Daniel has agreed to plead guilty or no contest to one count of felony cruelty to animals.
A plea deal filed with a Sublette County court on Feb. 25 would spare Roberts from going to trial, which was originally scheduled to begin on March 9, and potentially serving prison time.
Instead, Roberts would be required to withdraw his initial not guilty plea, pay a $1,000 fine and serve 18 months of supervised probation.
Case background
After Roberts was initially accused of capturing, torturing and killing a wolf in Sublette County in 2024, the incident went on to garner global attention, sparking outrage across several sectors and raising questions about predator management.
According to a Feb. 26 CBS News article, Roberts was accused of running down a wolf with a snowmobile, binding its mouth with duct tape and bringing it into a local bar in Daniel before ultimately killing it.
The same article notes photo and video evidence from that night shows the animal “alive but barely moving” inside of the bar.
A Feb. 25 WyoFile article by Mike Koshmrl notes the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) initially handled the incident, issuing Roberts a $250 fine for possession of warm-blooded wildlife.
WGFD declined to seek additional penalties or jail time, with department officials reasoning predatory animals, including wolves, are exempted from felony animal cruelty laws.
Sublette County law enforcement officials disagreed, however, and Roberts was indicted for felony animal cruelty charges by a state grand jury in August 2025.
Plea details
Rather than being faced with up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine for animal cruelty, the proposed plea agreement calls for Roberts to complete 18 months of supervised probation and pay a $1,000 fine.
The probation would prohibit Roberts from hunting and fishing, consuming alcohol and patronizing bars or liquor stores, and he would also be required to complete a recommended addiction treatment course, according to Koshmrl.
Koshmrl adds the pending plea deal was signed by Roberts’ attorney on Feb. 17 but is still awaiting approval by a judge, expected to be considered at an unspecified future date.
A Feb. 25 Cowboy State Daily article by Clair McFarland further notes, if the proposal is rejected, Roberts will have the opportunity to either undo his plea and go to trial or attempt to strike a new plea agreement.
Public reaction
WyoFile articles written by Koshmrl on Feb. 25 and March 3 detail some mixed reactions from animal rights activists and Sublette County locals following the announcement of Roberts’ potential plea deal.
Kim Bean, a wolf advocate based in Colorado, tells Koshmrl she doesn’t think the terms of the plea deal were steep enough, but also emphasizes the end goal of her advocacy was less about putting Roberts in prison and more about pushing for legal reform surrounding predator laws in Wyoming.
Koshmrl’s Feb. 25 WyoFile article explains one successful change to animal cruelty statutes has come about as a result of Roberts’ alleged actions, but other measures which aimed to prohibit running over animals with snowmobiles have failed in front of the Wyoming Legislature and in Congress.
In the March 3 article, Koshmrl notes the announcement of the plea agreement took many Sublette County locals by surprise, with some residents thinking the terms of the agreement do not match the crime and others expressing hope a decision will finally lead buzz surrounding the issue to start settling down.
Animal rights activists had mixed reactions, according to the article, with some groups publishing statements expressing either favor or disapproval for this recent development.
Attorney Scott Edwards penned a letter expressing disappointment in the deal on behalf of the Animal Wellness Action and Center for a Humane Economy.
“Animal cruelty laws serve not only to punish past conduct but also to deter future acts of abuse,” Edwards writes. “When conduct widely regarded as extreme and prolonged cruelty results in probation and a modest fine, it may foster the perception even egregious acts will carry little meaningful consequence.”
Another group, the Humane World for Animals, released a statement condoning the plea as a step in the right direction, saying the conditions mark “a substantive advance in the history of American anti-cruelty law” and sufficiently hold Roberts’ accountable for his actions.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
