Cody Roberts leaving court on Wednesday | Photo: Finn McFarland
A Sublette County man whose reputation has become synonymous with chasing down and tormenting a wolf in a local bar before killing it has finally been sentenced. The saga, which captured international attention, has finally come to a close after the man who chased down a young gray wolf with a snowmobile, taped its jaws shut, paraded the suffering animal through a rural bar for photos, and later shot it will serve no jail time after a judge accepted a plea deal earlier this week.
Sweetwater County District Judge Richard Lavery sentenced 44-year-old Cody Roberts of Daniel to 18 months of supervised probation, a $1,450 fine (including court costs and a $300 victim surcharge), and a suspended prison term of 18 months to two years. The felony animal cruelty conviction stands, but Roberts stands to avoid prison as long as he complies with strict probation conditions.
“It can’t be done in a cruel manner,” Lavery said. “It’s not that you captured a wolf, it’s what happened after. The keeping of the animal was cruel. That was the crime.”
The incident occurred back in February of 2024, on private land in Sublette County. According to court records and evidence presented to a grand jury, Roberts pursued a roughly one-year-old wolf with his snowmobile, striking and maiming it. He then taped the injured animal’s jaws shut, reportedly using tape and a shock collar, preventing it from panting or moving its mouth while it was in pain and distress. Roberts transported the wolf home, where his dogs reportedly attacked it, before bringing the still-living animal into the Green River Bar in Daniel.
There, amid patrons, he displayed the muzzled wolf on the floor, posed for grip and grins, and allowed others to take selfies. Later on in the evening, he took the wolf outside and shot it in the face to end its life. Photos and short videos from the bar leaked online, triggering international outrage, calls for tourism boycotts of Wyoming, and demands for legal reform.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department wardens initially cited Roberts with only a $250 discretionary fine for illegal possession of live wildlife. Under state law, wolves are classified as “predators” across much of Wyoming, meaning they can be killed year-round, by any method, without a license. However, the prolonged torment after capture is what helped float this case into felony animal cruelty territory.
As expected, public pressure mounted and in August 2025, Sublette County Prosecuting Attorney Clayton Melinkovich empaneled a grand jury, which indicted Roberts on one count of felony animal cruelty, a non-violent offense carrying up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Roberts initially pleaded not guilty to the changes and was expected to stand trial in March 2026.
He formally changed his plea to guilty on March 5, 2026, and apologized in court.
“I sincerely regret my actions and apologize to the community and my family,” he said.
At this week’s hearing in Pinedale, Judge Lavery accepted the deal. He noted alcohol as a contributing factor in Roberts’ life and required a substance abuse evaluation and completion of a Level 1 alcohol program.
Other key probation conditions for the next 18 months include: no hunting, fishing, or shed antler hunting. Alcohol consumption is prohibited, as is entering bars, lounges, or liquor stores. The possession of firearms or dangerous weapons is not allowed. He is subject to a DNA sample submission. Police scanners are forbidden. And finally, he is expected to uphold the standard requirements of leading a "worthy and reputable life," which includes avoiding negative associates, and obeying all laws.
Animal welfare organizations welcomed the felony conviction as a rare precedent but criticized the lack of jail time. As such, the groups have renewed their push for Congress to pass the Snowmobiles Are Not Weapons (SAW) Act, which would ban using motorized vehicles to chase, injure, or torment wildlife on federal lands.
Judge Lavery reminded the court of Wyoming’s heritage: “We have a front-row seat to nature. It’s right out your front door. We have an obligation to allow that to occur and not be cruel.” He wished Roberts luck on his “journey.”
