PINEDALE, WYOMING — Judge Richard Lavery sentenced Cody Roberts, 44, to 18 months of probation and a $1,000 fine in Pinedale, Wyoming, after Roberts pleaded guilty to animal cruelty for running over and killing a gray wolf. The sentence followed a plea agreement struck in February that allowed Roberts to avoid a potential prison term of up to two years and a maximum fine of $5,000.

In addition to the probation and fine, Lavery imposed several restrictions on Roberts. The judge barred him from drinking alcohol, entering bars or liquor stores, and hunting or fishing for the entire 18-month probation period.

"I have to be honest with you, the charge in this case is disturbing," Lavery said during the sentencing proceedings. Roberts had initially entered a not-guilty plea, and his trial had been tentatively set for March. At a hearing that same month, he abandoned the not-guilty plea as part of the agreement reached with prosecutors in February. During the March hearing, Roberts expressed remorse and apologized to his family and the community at large.

The events leading to the criminal case occurred in February 2024 in Daniel, Wyoming. Roberts ran over a gray wolf with his snowmobile, then taped the injured animal's mouth shut. He brought the wolf into a local bar and posed for a photo with it before shooting the animal behind the tavern. Video footage later emerged showing the wounded wolf lying on the floor of the establishment, still alive but barely moving. Photos also circulated showing the wolf with tape around its mouth.

In the immediate aftermath of the February 2024 incident, Roberts received a minor citation and a fine of a few hundred dollars for illegally possessing the wolf while it was still alive. The animal cruelty charge that led to the probation sentence was filed separately.

Sublette County prosecutor Clayton Melinkovich addressed the sentencing outcome directly. "There are some who are disappointed with the result in this case," Melinkovich said. "The state is not."

"The state feels that this is an appropriate sentence given the totality of the circumstances regarding this case," he added. "By definition, cruelty to animals is a nonviolent offense. This is not to say that this case did not include violence, but rather the legislature designates this crime as nonviolent."