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ANTONITO, Colo.– Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced on Monday that Michael Garcia, 36, of Las Cruces, N.M., has been charged with illegal possession of wildlife, allowing his dog to harass wildlife and unlawful manner of take of wildlife.

According to CPW, Garcia was issued a citation on July 23. The fines for the offenses are $1,372.50 and an assessment of 20 license-suspension points. This assessment of suspension points also means Garcia must appear before CPW.  He could lose license privileges from one to five years.

Garcia may elect to pay the fines or appear in court. If he does not pay the fine, he will be required to appear in court on Sept. 16, according to Rick Basagoitia, area wildlife manager for CPW.

“This is a disturbing case; we’ve heard from many members of the public wanting CPW to investigate,” Basagoitia said. “Information that they’ve provided has been greatly helpful to CPW efforts.”

FOX31 and Channel 2 made several attempts to get a hold of Garcia. We also called Conejos River Anglers, the company where Garcia was contracted as a fishing guide. A spokesman described the incident as an unfortunate situation.

Last week, Garcia posted the following statement on Facebook:


Wildlife crimes can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Thief at 877-265-6648. Those who report are eligible for a cash reward if the tip results in the issuance of a ticket or a conviction.