The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) recently announced convictions following an 8-year investigation into wildlife crimes. Ultimately, ten individuals were convicted on charges including falsifying residency statements to the illegal take of black bears, pronghorn, deer, elk, and other wildlife.
Amanda Fry, WGFD Public Information Officer, tells MeatEater that the investigation began when game wardens were investigating “unrelated crimes, related to a separate poaching investigation initiated out of Casper, Wyoming in 2017.” Following that instance, and several other reports of illegal activity, WGFD began investigating Sean Thoms, whose family had moved to Southwest Wyoming in 2014. Wyoming game wardens worked on the case intensively from 2018 until July 15, 2021, when the agency collaborated with counterparts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Utah to execute search warrants.
Ultimately, the sprawling investigation uncovered dozens of serious wildlife infractions, many of them stemming from fraudulent residency statements. Lying about residency status is a known issue, particularly in Western States where tag availability and costs differ significantly between residents and nonresidents. That said, many of these cases tend to be isolated incidents involving one or two people; what’s particularly notable about this case is the broad and systematic use of fraudulent residency statements.
“Some of the individuals purchased licenses in another state within 365 days of buying Wyoming resident licenses, some purchased licenses prior to establishing residency, and at least one suspect never lived in Wyoming,” says Fry.
Additionally, the poaching was linked to Thomas’s business, Great Basin Outfitters. “The Wyoming residents utilized licenses issued to them to cover wildlife killed without licenses by the nonresidents and took the nonresidents on these hunts,” says Fry. “A social media site linked to Great Basin Outfitters showcased several of the photographs of illegally taken wildlife discovered in this investigation.”
Individuals targeted in the investigation took plea deals. In total, five individuals were sentenced for making “false statements to obtain residency licenses.” Individuals were also sentenced for the illegal take of different types of wildlife, as well as accessory charges for both the illegal take of game and falsifying residency statements.
Several individuals received serious fines and hunting suspensions, including members of Thomas’s family; in total, they racked up a tab of $40,000 in fines and restitution fees. But the bulk of the punishments fell to Thomas, himself, who pleaded guilty on September 26, 2025 to “one count of making a false statement to procure a Wyoming resident license, five counts of accessory to the intentional take of two buck pronghorn, a doe pronghorn, a cow elk and a bull elk, one count of wanton destruction of a calf elk, one count of take of a calf elk with a motor vehicle, and one count of a violation of Wyoming Game and Fish Commission regulations.”
Thomas was fined $9,070, though $7070 of that was “suspended.” He faces an added $6,000 in restitution to the Wyoming Wildlife Protectors Association, 36 months of unsupervised probation, and 365 days of jail time, though 325 of those days were suspended—or won’t have to be served if Thomas complies with court-ordered conditions. For instance, Thomas may not possess a firearm or deadly weapon during his probation term. His hunting and fishing privileges were suspended for 20 years, and he forfeited all wildlife, as well as a .300 WSM Browning rifle.
“Wyoming is home to abundant wildlife populations and offers great opportunity for residents to procure licenses across the state. Nonresident individuals usually have to wait 1 to 10-plus years to draw licenses in coveted hunt areas, whereas residents have either greater drawing odds for limited quota hunt areas or are able to buy over the counter general licenses every year,” explains Fry. “[Fraudulent residency statements are] more common than you’d think. Like other crimes involving fraud, people are motivated by greed, money, and the opportunity to kill wildlife in Wyoming.”
“The resolution of this case showed the resolve of Wyoming Game Wardens to investigate wildlife crimes and put a stop to the wanton disregard for Wyoming’s wildlife laws,” she adds. “Solving this case would not have been possible without the help of concerned citizens reporting Thomas’s illegal activity.”
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