Man takes plea deal in Wyoming wolf cruelty case

SUBLETTE COUNTY, Wyo. (TCN) -- A man who sparked international outrage when he allegedly ran over a female wolf with a snowmobile and brought her into a bar to take photos has reached a plea agreement shortly before his trial was set to begin. 

Cody Roberts, 44, is accused of taping the wolf’s mouth shut after he ran her over, then taking the injured animal into a bar in Daniel, Wyoming, a town of about 150 people, on Feb. 29, 2024. Photos he took showed the wolf hardly moving, CBS reported in 2025.

The shocking images drew widespread disdain, and some called for a boycott of Wyoming tourism. Roberts allegedly killed the wolf after publicly tormenting the suffering animal in the bar.

Roberts was indicted on federal animal cruelty charges by a grand jury on Aug 20, 2025. He filed a motion in December 2025 to have the case dismissed due to the broadness of Wyoming law and the fact that the state gives wide leeway to killing predators.

However, during the hearing on Feb. 4 to discuss having the case dropped, Sublette County Prosecuting Attorney Clayton Melinkovich said Roberts’ treatment of the wolf did not meet exemption laws and that animal cruelty laws apply to all animals. 

CBS News reports Roberts’ trial is set to begin on March 9. If convicted, he would face up to two years in prison as well as a $5,000 fine. On Feb. 17, he signed a proposed plea deal to plead guilty or no contest to one count of animal cruelty.

Under the deal reached with prosecutors and certified and released on Feb. 25, Roberts would pay a $1,000 fine and serve 18 months of probation. While on probation, he would be prohibited from drinking, going to bars or liquor stores, and hunting or fishing.

Buckrail reports a judge still must agree to the deal and that would happen at a later date.

Yellowstone Public Radio reports that if Roberts violates the plea agreement, he will not be allowed to withdraw his plea and will be sentenced without the protections detailed in the agreement.

KHQ reports that according to Nicholas Arrivo, an attorney for Humane World for Animals, “The case reveals the serious gaps that leave wolves and other wildlife vulnerable to cruelty. Like domestic animals, wild animals are at the mercy of humans and deserve respect and legal protection.”

Buckrail reports Texas-based animal-welfare activist Jonas Black said, “Of course, we all had pipe dreams of him getting jail time. Is this what we all hoped for? No.” 

CBS reports that no hearing date for the plea deal has yet been set, and the trial remains scheduled.

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