An Arizona hunting guide whose actions spanned years and crossed state lines is heading to federal prison for what officials describe as “numerous and severe” wildlife violations in Colorado.

U.S. District Judge S. Kato Crews sentenced 56-year-old Timothy Rawlings, owner of Old West Guides and Outfitters in Laveen, Arizona, to 12 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $45,800 in restitution. His conviction followed a lengthy investigation by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), revealing a pattern of illegal outfitting, hunting, and guiding for paying clients targeting big game such as elk, deer, bears, and mountain lions, The Colorado Sun reports.

Timothy Rawlings operated Old West Guides and Outfitters in Arizona, and targeted big game animals including elk, deer, bears, and mountain lions.

Violations Beyond the Occasional Infraction

According to federal prosecutors, Rawlings’ crimes were not isolated mistakes. For several years, he systematically orchestrated hunts that broke multiple Colorado laws, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado notes. Offenses included shooting from vehicles, chasing animals with vehicles, hunting on unlicensed or unpermitted lands, and failing to register taken animals—including mountain lions—as required by state regulations.

The scope extended to brokering landowner hunting vouchers, a controversial practice in which private landowners can sell tags for big game hunting. Colorado’s Landowner Preference Program is meant to reward habitat conservation, but misuse can bypass public lottery systems and tilt opportunities toward high-paying clients. Rawlings capitalized on this by arranging hunts for out-of-state customers and hiring co-defendant Howard Wayne Rodarmel of Baca County, Colorado, to provide unlicensed guide services, GearJunkie reports.

The Lacey Act prohibits transporting illegally taken wildlife across state lines.

Undercover Agents in the Field

The investigation began when CPW officers suspected Rawlings was illegally outfitting in the state. Their suspicions led to a joint federal-state operation. During the probe, Rawlings unknowingly took undercover agents on an illegal hunt, openly committing violations in their presence. Such evidence cemented the federal case under the Lacey Act, a law enacted in 1900 that prohibits the transport, sale, or acquisition of wildlife taken in violation of state, tribal, or foreign laws, Unofficial Networks reports.

Federal authorities stressed that Rawlings knew most of his clients were from outside Colorado and that the animals taken would likely cross state lines. That interstate element brought the crimes squarely under the Lacey Act’s jurisdiction.

Rawlings failed to register animals taken, including mountain lions.

Ethics, Enforcement, and Public Trust

Wildlife officials say violations like these harm more than animal populations—they erode public trust in licensed guides and threaten decades of conservation progress.

“Operating without proper licensing undermines wildlife conservation efforts and the integrity of our state’s hunting regulations,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly.

Douglas Ault, assistant director for USFWS Office of Law Enforcement, was more blunt: Rawlings’ actions “stripped wildlife from our landscapes and betrayed the foundational principles of ethical hunting.”

Ty Petersburg, CPW’s chief of law enforcement, credited the prosecution to a strong partnership between agencies. The case, he said, reflects the commitment to protecting wildlife populations and ensuring fair access for all hunters who follow the rules, Hoodline reports.

The investigation involved CPW and the USFWS.

Holding Poachers Accountable

Rodarmel, Rawlings’ co-defendant, received three years’ probation, $9,164 in restitution, and a $2,000 fine for his role. Rawlings’ business is now defunct, and a former associate has rebranded it under a new name.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife continues to encourage public tips through its Operation Game Thief program. Since 1981, CPW has fielded thousands of poaching reports, leading to hundreds of convictions and over $130,000 in rewards to citizens. Officials say that vigilance from both the public and law enforcement remains essential to preventing future cases like Rawlings’.

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