Illegal outfitter gets suspended sentence
A 54-year-old Columbia Falls man was given a 2 1/2-year suspended sentence and a $450 fine after an undercover operation resulted in multiple charges two years ago of illegal outfitting and hunting.
Timmie Stephens had faced up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine for a felony charge of outfitting without a license. Nine misdemeanor charges filed against him included unlawful taking of big game, transportation of unlawfully taken big game, use of radios for hunting, encouraging someone to shoot game through a vehicle window, hunting big game without the landowner’s permission, and hunting big game on block management lands without a license or permit.
Three of the misdemeanor charges were later dropped, and the felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor in a plea agreement this year. Flathead County District Court Judge Robert Allison followed the plea agreement in sentencing Stephens on Jan. 30.
Allison made the suspended sentences consecutive to his sentence in another fish and game case in Phillips County. He also took away Stephens’ Montana hunting privileges for five years, also consecutive to the Phillips County case, and ordered Stephens to pay $1,700 in restitution to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
According to court records, FWP began investigating Stephens in fall 2008. An undercover agent spent several days in the field with Stephens in the Trumble Creek, Hungry Horse Reservoir, Bitterroot Lake, Lost Trail National Refuge, KM Ranch Road and Tally Lake areas.
While accompanying several hunters from Wisconsin with his son-in-law “Terry” from Martin City, Stephens allegedly told the undercover agent he was not allowed to guide them but could take a tip when they were done. Stephens also allegedly said he had finished off a white-tailed doe that one of the hunters had gut shot, that he received $2,000 from the Wisconsin hunters after spending 10 days with them, and that he once helped an underage hunter fill his tags.
While hunting at the Lost Trail Wildlife Refuge, Stephens allegedly said he had been confronted in the past about outfitting on the refuge, where it’s not allowed. He also acknowledged that the undercover agent’s B tag was for a different hunting area, but the only person who would care would be a game warden.
Stephens allegedly used two-way radios while hunting on state lands near KM Road and told the undercover agent to shoot a white-tailed fawn through a vehicle window. He allegedly said if anyone asked where he shot any deer to say it was on Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. land near Trumbull Creek Road.
After the undercover agent intentionally missed shooting a white-tailed doe on Tally Lake Road, Stephens allegedly talked about using different people’s tags and licenses over the past 8-10 years. The undercover agent, who recorded the conversations, reportedly paid Stephens $750 by check and $250 in cash for his illegal services.