Federal investigators say they turned up a serious weapons stash at a Pavilion property and that the convicted felon tied to it is on his way back to prison. The discovery is part of a broader push by a regional task force that has been ramping up operations to choke off illegal guns and drug trafficking around the Wind River Indian Reservation. Officials also say a Riverton man with a prior conviction for distributing methamphetamine on the reservation is being returned to federal custody in the same enforcement sweep.
What investigators say
In a post on X, FBI Denver reported that agents with the Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force, working alongside the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, located 57 firearms on a Pavillion property tied to Milton Peterson. Peterson is described as a convicted felon, and federal prosecutors have moved to have him returned to custody.
The same post notes that a Riverton man who was previously convicted of distributing methamphetamine on the Wind River Reservation is also being sent back to prison as part of the current enforcement effort. The FBI update did not provide sentencing dates, case numbers, or other docket details for either defendant.
Task force works around Wind River
The Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force is a multiagency effort focused on drug trafficking and violent crime linked to the Wind River Indian Reservation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Wyoming. Federal officials say the task force has been busy in Fremont County, where coordinated operations have involved federal search warrants and the seizure of both narcotics and firearms.
According to those releases, the task force routinely partners with tribal law enforcement, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Wyoming DCI, and other federal agencies, a mix designed to cover both reservation and non-reservation crime tied to the same trafficking networks.
Riverton meth conviction tied to Safe Trails actions
FBI Denver also highlighted the Riverton defendant, whose prior conviction for distributing meth on the Wind River Reservation is landing him back in federal prison as part of this enforcement cycle. Local coverage, including reporting by County 10, has chronicled recent Safe Trails operations that involved dozens of federal personnel and multiple warrants over the last year.
Formal charging documents and sentencing entries in U.S. District Court are expected to spell out the exact counts, timelines, and potential penalties as these cases move through the system.
Legal implications
Under federal law, being a felon in possession of firearms is prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), while methamphetamine distribution falls under 21 U.S.C. § 841. Both statutes can carry lengthy prison terms and, depending on drug quantities and criminal history, can trigger mandatory minimum sentences, as outlined by Congress.gov. Prosecutors in the District of Wyoming typically focus on the most serious charges they can prove when guns and drugs show up in the same investigation.
Officials say the Pavillion gun seizure and the Riverton meth case are part of a broader strategy to cut violent crime and slow the flow of illegal drugs in the region. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Wyoming has described recent Safe Trails actions as a sustained push to hold traffickers and gun offenders accountable, and says investigators will keep processing evidence and filing charges as new cases are developed.
