GOSHEN COUNTY – A 44-year-old Torrington resident has been booked into the Goshen County Detention Center where he is facing multiple counts of animal cruelty. Nathan Michael Wallman was booked into the jail on November 15 at 7 a.m. for violating Wyoming State Statute 6-3-1002 (a) (iv) (A), failure to provide proper food, drink, or protection from the weather adequate for the species. 

According to a criminal warrant filed in the circuit court on Monday, November 11, Wallman faces five counts animal cruelty.

“Between the dates of October 11, 2024 and October 12, 2024, Nathan M. Wallman, did knowingly commit cruelty to animals, by having the charge and custody of any animal and under circumstances which manifest extreme indifference to the animal’s safety, health or life: failing to provide it with proper food, drink or protection from the weather for the species,” the warrant explained. “Nathan M. Wallman did knowingly commit cruelty to horse number 1 by which he had the charge and custody of and that he failed to feed and water for several days.”

“The pasture where the horse was living had no edible vegetation, the stock tank was empty of water and there was no hay accessible and the defendant had previously been charged with a violation of Wyoming State Statute 6-3-1002 (a) (iv) (A) and was convicted of said violation on June 26, 2023,” the warrant said.

Four additional counts of failure to provide proper food, drink, or protection from the weather adequate for the species, Wyoming State Statute 6-3-1002 (a) (iv) (A), appear on the warrant to total five counts, one count for each of the five horses in Wallman’s care. 

Courthouse documents indicate the Goshen County Sheriff’s Department was in charge of the investigation. 

“On 13 October 2024 (Sunday), I was contacted by Torrington Dispatch about horses that had not been fed or watered for several days,” Goshen County Sheriff, Kory Fleenor indicated in the affidavit of probable cause. 

According to the affidavit, the horses were owned by Wallman but kept on a property elsewhere. Records indicate Fleenor met with the landowner, Tom Cuypers, who stated he had given Wallman permission to put five horses on the property. The landowner advised the sheriff, Wallman was to care for his livestock. 

“He (Cuypers) said Wallman had done good about feeding and watering on a regular basis but has recently not done a good job,” the affidavit read. “Cuypers said Wallman had not been to the property for at least three days to feed and water the horses. Cuypers said Wallman only has one small square bale of hay to feed on the property.” 

Cuypers also indicated to Fleenor the water tank was empty upon investigation, according to records, and grazing areas had diminished. 

“The pasture where the horses roam had no edible vegetation and had been grazed to the dirt. There had not been water in the stock tank for some time as there was dust in the bottom of it,” Fleenor wrote in the affidavit. “While starting to fill the tank, the horses were drinking so much water it was not filing the stock tank. The stock tank was filled with water prior to leaving the property.”

After making contact with Wallman, Fleenor indicated in the affidavit Wallman admitted to owning the horses. 

“He (Wallman) said he was out there prior to the sale on Friday (October 11) and fed and watered the horses then,” the affidavit reads. “I (Fleeonor) told Wallman that would have put him there feeding and watering on Thursday, at the earliest, and that was unacceptable. I told Wallman there was only one small square bale of hay for all five horses and that was definitely not enough to sustain them.”

“There were a total of five horses that Wallman did not provide adequate food or water for on these dates, October 11, 2024 and October 12, 2024,” Fleenor explained in the affidavit. 

Each of the five charges of cruelty to animals carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine or both, court records indicate. 

Wallman was released on $3,000 bail.