HELENA, MONTANA – In a shocking turn of events, Gayle Patrick Skunkcap, Jr., Jessie Jay St. Goddard, and Woodrow Jay Wells, all residents of Browning, Montana, have pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits the illegal sale of tribal wildlife, and theft from a tribal government receiving federal funding.
According to court documents, the trio was involved in a scheme to hold big-game hunts for country musicians participating in an outdoors television show on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation without obtaining the necessary hunting licenses. They also used tribal funds and personnel to outfit and guide the musicians, television show hosts, and a fly fishing expert.
The investigation, a cooperative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Blackfeet Internal Affairs Office, revealed that the trio had held four such hunts between 2010 and 2011. During this time, the Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife Department received federal funding in excess of $220,000 each year.
Skunkcap, Jr., the Director of the Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife Department, and St. Goddard and Wells, Tribal Councilmen on the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, each face possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years supervised release.
The court has set sentencing for June 24, 2013. The three men are currently released on special conditions.
The Blackfeet Indian Tribe owns all wildlife on the reservation, and hunting by non-members is a highly regulated activity. The 2010 and 2011 Blackfeet Regulations set forth the number of tags that may be given to non-members and the price of payment required for each tag. These tags are required, are limited in number, and are highly lucrative, with each license costing between $1,500 and $12,000 depending on the animal.
The case highlights the need for stricter regulations and enforcement to prevent wildlife trafficking and theft from tribal governments receiving federal funding.
The defendants’ names, ages, and addresses are: Gayle Patrick Skunkcap, Jr., 42, Browning, Montana; Jessie Jay St. Goddard, 50, Browning, Montana; and Woodrow Jay Wells, 45, Browning, Montana.
The charges against the defendants are: violating the Lacey Act and theft from a tribal government receiving federal funding.
The city and state where the crime occurred are: Browning, Montana.
The exact date of the crime is: 2010-2011.
The sentence or outcome is: currently released on special conditions, with sentencing set for June 24, 2013.
The dollar amounts involved are: federal funding in excess of $220,000 each year.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Public Corruption|Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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