Arizona Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Guiding Hunts in Colorado

Timothy Rawlings of Laveen, Arizona is facing a year in federal prison after getting busted for illegally outfitting hunts in Colorado—and a slew of other wildlife infractions.According to a Department of Justice press release,Rawlings was sentenced by United States District Judge S. Kato Crews on Tuesday, August 5, after he took a plea agreement.

According to the court, Rawlings and his co-defendant, Howard Wayne Rodarmel, who had already been sentenced, conducted their crimes through Old West Guides and Outfitters, which Rawlings owned and operated. Rawlings booked paying clients hunts for big game animals, such as deer, elk, mountain lions, and bear, in Colorado, despite not being licensed to do so.

Not only that, but Rawlings “knowingly violated” additional hunting regulations such as chasing animals with vehicles, hunting in unpermitted lands, and failing to register taken animals according to state regulations.

The investigation, which was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Colorado Parks & Wildlife, involved undercover agents who were guided by Rawlings on an illegal hunt and witnessed firsthand such game code violations.

One of the most egregious—and legally damning—parts of Rawlings’s actions was that his clients largely didn’t live in Colorado. After bagging their animals, they would bring their animals home across state lines. This is considered “interstate commerce” under the Lacey Act, which has prohibited the transportation and trade of illegally obtained animals and animal products since 1900.

Ultimately, Rawlings was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for violating the Lacey Act, followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay $45,800 in restitution. His co-defendant, Rodarmel, who Rawlings had hired, did not face jail time but did receive three years of probation and $11,164 in restitution and fines.

“This was not a momentary lapse in judgment or isolated violation,” USFWS Office of Law Enforcement Assistant Director Douglas Ault said.

“For several years, Rawlings and his associates systematically violated Colorado’s hunting and guiding regulations, orchestrating illegal hunts, and facilitating the unlawful take, transport, and sale of big game across state lines for monetary financial gain. Their actions stripped wildlife from our landscapes and betrayed the foundational principles of ethical hunting. Violations like these erode public trust in licensed guides, undermine decades of conservation progress, and tarnish the legacy of fair-chase hunting that ethical sportsmen and women work hard to preserve.”

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