Former Laramie City Council candidate Paul Montoya has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of computer trespassing, stemming from allegations of disabling Wyoming Public Radio (WPR) equipment in 2022, Cowboy State Daily reports.
Despite the plea, Montoya maintains his innocence, stating that resolving the case through a plea agreement was the best decision for his family.
Originally facing two felony charges, Montoya’s case was significantly reduced. One felony was dismissed early in the proceedings, and the remaining charge was downgraded to a misdemeanor. On November 18, Montoya was sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation, court fees of $370, and no fine. Under Wyoming’s first offender statute, Montoya avoided a formal conviction on his record.
Montoya’s initial charges could have resulted in up to three years in prison and $3,000 in fines. Instead, his sentence reflects a substantial reduction in the severity of the penalties.
Montoya, who served as Wyoming Public Media’s director of engineering and hosted the WPR program “Wyoming Sounds,” was accused of remotely accessing and disabling WPR’s broadcasting equipment in October 2022. A University of Wyoming Police affidavit alleged Montoya had ongoing disputes with WPR’s administration, which contributed to the incident.
Montoya reportedly logged into WPR’s computer systems and disrupted transmission functions. He was also accused of physically disabling a radio tower at Pilot Hill east of Laramie eight days later. However, Montoya contends the charges stemmed from a personal feud with a former supervisor and were intended to damage his reputation.
The criminal case overshadowed Montoya’s 2023 campaign for a Laramie City Council seat. Although he advanced past the primary election, he finished third in the general election for Ward 1, narrowly losing to William Bowling by 291 votes.
Montoya believes the legal case influenced voters, saying, “It cast a shadow of suspicion,” which he feels impacted the election outcome.
Brett Glass, a Laramie resident who also ran unsuccessfully for city council, echoed Montoya’s sentiments, claiming partisan influences exploited the charges due to Montoya’s Republican affiliation. Glass suggested Montoya lacked the motive or technical errors typically associated with hacking, stating:
“It didn’t seem like someone as tech-savvy as Paul wouldn’t know to cover up their tracks.”
Montoya’s felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor two days after the election, averting a potential dilemma. If elected and found guilty of a felony, Montoya would have been legally barred from holding office in Wyoming, where felony convictions disqualify individuals from public service.
Montoya concluded that accepting the plea was in his best interest, adding:
“A plea agreement was best for me and my family.”
