Poaching case leads to possession charges

A Moorcroft woman faces felony possession charges after controlled substances were located at her home during a separate search related to a poaching case.

On April 23, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy executed a search warrant on a Moorcroft residence for the possession, manufacturing and consumption of marijuana and methamphetamine.

The warrant was granted because controlled substances were located during a separate search warrant for a poaching case that was conducted by Wyoming Game & Fish.

The occupant, Tracy McGee, allegedly engaged in a standoff with law enforcement for several hours on April 21 when that warrant was served, which led to her arrest for interference with a peace officer.

The first warrant was served by two Game & Fish wardens and two deputies, who advised McGee by phone that they had a search warrant and requested that she exit the residence. McGee allegedly refused to do so.

Following three additional phone calls requesting that she exit the residence, McGee finally did so via her vehicle. According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by one of the attending deputies, McGee refused to exit the vehicle and instead called 911.

McGee was informed by Dispatch that she needed to comply with the deputy’s instructions; however, McGee continued to refuse to exit the vehicle. The deputy reports that he pulled the top edge of the driver’s window to break the glass towards himself, then unlocked the door and removed McGee.

McGee was arrested for interference with a peace officer.

Two days later, the second deputy conducted the second search warrant. Prior to this, he reports that he interviewed McGee, during which she denied knowledge of the controlled substance and said it belonged to two previous residents.

The controlled substance, according to court reports, was located in a bathroom adjoining a room that contained stored furniture and clothing. This was the room from which McGee was allegedly frequently seen pacing around and peeking through the window during the standoff with law enforcement.

A purse was located in the bathroom containing controlled substance, which allegedly matched a description given by McGee of a bag that belonged to her.

However, during the interview, McGee allegedly said that purse was in the closet and again denied knowledge of the controlled substance. The deputy asked why it took her several hours to come out of the residence during the standoff, to which she replied that she told law enforcement to come in.

Based on training and prior experience, the deputy believed McGee to have consumed meth due to her erratic movements and inability to sit still.

The deputy was granted a search warrant and returned to the scene. He allegedly found several containers of marijuana as well as meth throughout the residence, as well as the purse containing raw marijuana, THC wax, liquid THC and meth.

The total raw marijuana located was 1.15 oz without packaging. A total of 14.2 grams of meth was also located, as well as 2 grams of vape cartridges.

As well as the misdemeanor charge of wanton destruction of a big game animal for which Wyoming Game & Fish initially made contact with McGee, she was also charged with a misdemeanor count of interference with a peace officer.

Following the second search warrant, McGee was charged with felony counts of possession of methamphetamine and possession of THC, as well as a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.