Former BLM Employee Charged with Killing Wild Horses

Horse killings suspect faces seven felony and misdemeanor counts

By JEFF GEARINO Southwest Wyoming bureau | Posted: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 2:50 pm | No Comments Posted

GREEN RIVER -- A former Bureau of Land Management worker arrested last week in connection with the shooting deaths of three horses at a holding facility in Rock Springs in June has been charged with seven felony and misdemeanor counts, according to authorities.

Jason Edward Hein, 39, was arrested in Billings, Mont., Thursday by deputy sheriffs of the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and BLM law enforcement officers.

Sweetwater County Sheriff Rich Haskell said that a joint county and federal investigation led to Hein's arrest on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals, unlawful killing of wild horses, and property destruction and defacement.

Two BLM personnel arriving for work on June 12 and discovered that three wild horses had been shot with a .22 caliber weapon and killed sometime during the night of June 11.

Officials said Hein was employed as a maintenance worker at the facility at the time of the incident.

The Sweetwater County attorney's office filed charges against Hein in Circuit Court in Rock Springs. Haskell said Hein is free on a $50,000 bond set in Justice Court in Billings on Friday.

Read more about this story in Thursday's Star-Tribune.

Contact southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.

Posted in State-and-regional on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 2:50 pm | Tags: Bureau Of Land Management, Blm, Sweetwater County, Rock Springs, Holding Corrals, Wild Horses, Rich Haskell, Jason Hein, Jeff Gearino

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