Pocatello man sent to prison for eastern Idaho poaching operation

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — A Pocatello man was sentenced to state prison and a lifetime ban from the field for multiple felony wildlife violations after a years-long, multi-jurisdictional investigation into an elaborate, illegal guiding scheme.

On June 2, 2026, Seventh District Judge Dane H. Boyce sentenced Joelseph Jenkins of Pocatello on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from an fradulent hunting sweepstakes he advertised on an Oklahoma radio station. Through the operation, Jenkins raked in more than $55,000 by leading hunters to illegally harvest big game across eastern Idaho.

Judge Boyce accepted the terms of Jenkins’ plea agreement, handing down the following concurrent sentences:

• State prison: 2 years determinate + 2 years indeterminate for unlawful possession of a firearm
• State prison: 2 years determinate + 2 years indeterminate for felony unlawful possession of wildlife (served concurrently)
• 6 months in Teton County Jail for guiding without a license (served concurrently)
• 6 months in Teton County Jail for a bear bait violation (served concurrently)
•  Lifetime hunting license revocation
• Lifetime prohibition of accompanying other hunters in the field
• $9,750 in restitution for nine unlawfully taken animals
• $1,498.50 in total fines and court costs

Inside the Investigation

Jenkins was originally charged in 2024 with numerous felony and misdemeanor wildlife violations after Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officers uncovered the commercial guiding scheme spanning Power, Caribou, Bannock, Jefferson, and Teton counties.

Investigators found that Jenkins assisted clients in unlawfully taking five black bears and four elk (three bulls and one cow). A mountain of violations was identified during the multi-agency probe, including:

• Felony, unlawful possession of a firearm
• Multiple felony and misdemeanor counts of possession of unlawfully taken wildlife
• Guiding without a license
• Placing bear bait unlawfully
• Violating forest road closures
• Aiding and abetting
• molesting big game with a motor vehicle;
• Trespassing to hunt or retrieve game
• Failure to remove bear bait sites after the season.

Idaho Fish and Game extended its gratitude to the public for remaining vigilant in reporting potential wildlife crimes.

"Public involvement plays a critical role in ensuring Idaho’s fish and wildlife will exist for future generations," said IDFG Regional Communications Manager James Brower in a press release announcing the sentencing.

IDFG also expressed its gratitude to the Prosecutor’s Offices of Power, Caribou, Bannock, Jefferson, and Teton counties for their extensive work in reviewing the multi-county case and pursuing appropriate charges.

Anyone with information about potential wildlife violations is encouraged to call the Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) hotline at 1-800-632-5999, report online at the Idaho Fish and Game website, or contact their local law enforcement agency. Callers can remain anonymous.