Landowner changes plea in illegal outfitting case

A local landowner changed his plea in an illegal outfitting case on Monday, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge while two other charges will be dismissed. Sentencing was set for the same day but was pushed back to March 26.

Tyree O’Connor pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of License, Permit, or Tag Offenses, by common scheme, a misdemeanor, in Sixteenth Judicial District Court on Monday, Jan. 22. He faces a maximum possible sentence of up to six months in the county jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both.

Under a plea agreement, one felony charge of outfitting without a license and one misdemeanor charge of unlawful possession, shipping or transportation of game animal were dismissed.

The charges stem from an investigation conducted by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that began in 2017 after the department received information of a possibly illegal outfitting operation in Carter County. The operation was determined to be taking place on land owned by O'Connor in Carter and Powder River Counties, primarily organized by an associate of O'Connor's, Larry Bergman.

Court documents state that FWP utilized undercover agents to arrange hunting trips with Bergman on the O'Connor ranch in 2017 and 2018 where Bergman encouraged them to hunt various game animals, including ones that were out of season.

Utilizing search warrants, cell phone records, publicly available information and witness statements, FWP officials were able to locate 136 people who were believed to have hunted on the O'Connor ranch between 2017 and 2021. In November 2023, seven people were charged in relation to the scheme, including O'Connor and Bergman and five men from out of state; John Gabriel Hubbard, Steve Craig Buchner, Robert Jon Dickson, Allan Edward Ruzek and Gregory Lynn Kimm, all from Minnesota. All defendants were charged in Carter County except for Hubbard, who was charged in Powder River County.

Of those cases, Bergman and Dickson are still set to go to trial starting April 3. Bergman is facing one count of Unlawful Possession, Shipping, or Transportation of Game Animal, by common scheme, a felony; one count Outfitting without a License, by common scheme, a felony; and one count License, Permit, or Tag Offenses, by common scheme, a misdemeanor.

Dickson is charged with one count Unlawful Possession, Shipping, or Transportation of Game Animal, by common scheme, a felony; one count Hunting, fishing, or trapping without license, by common scheme, a misdemeanor; and one count License, Permit, or Tag Offenses, by common scheme, a misdemeanor.

The only defendant sentenced so far has been Kimm, who was sentenced on one count hunting, fishing, or trapping without license, by common schemes misdemeanor. He was ordered to pay approximately $250 in various fines, as well as about $1,700 in restitution to FWP. He also forfeited his hunting privileges nationwide for two years.

All of the remaining cases were dismissed.

Hunter Herbaugh can be reached at [email protected].