Michigan Man Fined for Making More Than 100 False Claims of Wyoming Residency

A plea agreement between the Sheridan County Attorney’s Office and Michigan resident Michael J. Dupuis Sr. for making false claims of residency to obtain resident Wyoming hunting, fishing and trapping licenses was recently approved by Fourth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Shelley Cundiff. According to information from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Sheridan Regional Office,  as part of the agreement, Dupuis pleaded no contest to seven counts of false oath to obtain resident Wyoming hunting licenses. He will pay $35,070 in fines and will lose his hunting and trapping privileges for six years. Wyoming and 48 other states participate in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. If a person loses hunting or fishing privileges in one state, the revocation is also in effect in all other partner states. Dupuis began illegally purchasing licenses as a Wyoming resident in 2008.  Over the following years, he made 110 separate claims of residency on deer, antelope, elk, fishing, trapping, turkey and professional hunting guide licenses.

Sheridan Regional Wildlife Supervisor Dustin Shorma investigated the case and said there is no doubt in his mind that it was a calculated effort to defraud the residents of Wyoming as Dupuis was licensed as a professional guide with the Wyoming Board of Outfitters and he used family members’ post office boxes in Wyoming as a mailing address and was able to obtain a Wyoming driver’s license. As required by state statute, the fines imposed by the judge in this case will be distributed to the public school fund in the county where the violations occurred. The public is reminded that for the purpose of receiving a resident hunting, fishing or trapping license, the applicant must have physically resided in Wyoming for at least one year prior to applying for or purchasing a license and not claimed residency in any other state, territory or country.