LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — A Larimer County man pleaded guilty to charges related to killing his neighbor's cattle. In April, Michael Hester was arrested and charged after he allegedly rode a UTV around, shooting and killing livestock on a property on Buckhorn Road west of Fort Collins.
Michael Hester, 37, pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, and three counts of theft of animals. All of those charges are class 4 felonies. Hester also agreed to pay around $27,000 in restitution to the victims, a spokesperson with the 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office said. Twelve other charges will be dismissed as part of the plea deal, court records indicate.
Hester could face 2-6 years in prison and fines up to $500,000 on each charge, the DA's spokesperson said.
Witnesses told Larimer County Sheriff's deputies in April, Hester rode around his property on a UTV shooting cows that belonged to rancher Jordan Yarber. A total of eight cows were ultimately killed from the gunfire.
Under Colorado's "Open Range Law," livestock owners are allowed to graze animals without containment. Residents seeking to limit livestock access to their property must fence off these areas.
Yarber said all of the cows killed were fairly young, with four that were pregnant. Yarber said in April he estimated it could take up to seven years to fully come back from the losses.
